Showing posts with label Septuagint. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Septuagint. Show all posts

Friday, November 10, 2023

Beza, Plato, and the "Shall Be" Speculative Restoration at Revelation 16:5

Beza speculatively replaced "ὅσιος" with "ἐσόμενος" in Revelation 16:5.  Sometimes advocates of the King James Version (or Scrivener's Textus Receptus, which was based on the KJV), will try to find some hint that this text existed in some now-lost copies of Scripture. To that end, I've done my best to survive the roughly 266 places in which the exact expression "ἐσόμενος" appears in any Greek writing in the Thesaurus Linguae Gracae (TLG) library of Greek Literature (as of November 10, 2023).

There is one Biblical use, namely in the Septuagint translation of Job:

Septuagint, Job 15:14 "τίς γὰρ ὢν βροτός, ὅτι ἔσται ἄμεμπτος, ἢ ὡς ἐσόμενος δίκαιος γεννητὸς γυναικός;" (NETS: For who, being mortal, can be blameless, or who can be in the right, born of woman?)

While this is an important verse for total depravity, it has no obvious connection to Revelation 16:5.

A much more interesting use is found in Plato's Timaeus.  I don't know whether Plato's Timaeus is itself included in the TLG, but beginning with Stobaeus (5th century, AD) there are multiple quotations of Plato's use (Stobaeus, Proclus, Simplicius, and especially Philoponus provide this quotation).   

In a paper (link), I found the following text and translation of Timaeus 38b 6-c 3.

χρόνος δ᾽ οὖν μετ᾽ οὐρανοῦ γέγονεν, ἵνα ἅμα γεννηθέντες ἅμα καὶ λυθῶσιν, ἄν ποτε λύσις τις αὐτῶν γίγνηται, καὶ κατὰ τὸ παράδειγμα τῆς διαιωνίας φύσεως, ἵν’ὡς ὁμοιότατος αὐτῷ κατὰ δύναμιν ᾖ· τὸ μὲν γὰρ δὴ παράδειγμα πάντα αἰῶνά ἐστιν ὄν, ὁ δ᾽ αὖ διὰ τέλους τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον γεγονώς τε καὶ ὢν καὶ ἐσόμενος.

...

Now, χρόνος has come into being with the οὐρανός (χρόνος δ᾽ οὖν μετ᾽ οὐρανοῦ γέγονεν), so that, together (ἅμα) having been engendered, together (ἅμα) they may perish, should some dissolution (λύσις) of either the one or the other ever occur, and it has come into being [sc. γέγονεν] in accordance with the paradigm which is possessed of a thoroughly everlasting nature (τὸ παράδειγμα τῆς διαιωνίας φύσεως), so that it should prove to be as similar as possible to that paradigm, relative to its capacity (ἵν’ὡς ὁμοιότατος αὐτῷ κατὰ δύναμιν ᾖ); for that paradigm ‘is’ for all Eternity, being, whereas the other (ὁ δ᾽ αὖ, that is, its ‘image’), lasting through and through (διὰ τέλους), ‘is’ [sc. ἐστιν] for all time, having come into being, and also being and going to be’.

It's easy to observe the three times (past, present, and future) mentioned in connection with the concept of Eternity.  There is no reason to think that John would have been influenced by Plato, and in context John is quoting an angel, who would have no reason to be have been influenced by Plato.  Nevertheless, it is more reasonable to suppose that Beza was influenced by Plato.

In 1513, Aldus Manutius provided the first printed edition of Plato's works in Greek, which included Timaeus (link to relevant page):


Notice the "καὶ ὢν καὶ ἐσόμενος" as the final words of the last line of the clip. It is 

Beza may not have always agreed with Plato, but he had read him, at least enough to disagree with him. For example, "Beza does not favour Plato's philosophy, and often finds him an inept philosopher," Mallinson, Jeffrey, 'Beza’s Academic Challenge', Faith, Reason, and Revelation in Theodore Beza (1519–1605), Oxford Theological Monographs (Oxford, 2003; online edn, Oxford Academic, 3 Oct. 2011).

Setting aside the people quoting or commenting on Plato himself, and setting aside the many places where the use of the word seems utterly irrelevant to the question at hand, I have found the following places of interest (some of which were already pointed out by Nick Sayers in his book on Revelation 16:5, defending Beza's reading).

1. Clement of Alexandria (d. c. 215), Stromata, Book 5, Chapter 6 (translation)(Greek can be found here):

So very mystically the five loaves are broken by the Saviour, and fill the crowd of the listeners. For great is the crowd that keep to the things of sense, as if they were the only things in existence. "Cast your eyes round, and see," says Plato, "that none of the uninitiated listen." Such are they who think that nothing else exists, but what they can hold tight with their hands; but do not admit as in the department of existence, actions and processes of generation, and the whole of the unseen. For such are those who keep by the five senses. But the knowledge of God is a thing inaccessible to the ears and like organs of this kind of people. Hence the Son is said to be the Father's face, being the revealer of the Father's character to the five senses by clothing Himself with flesh. "But if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." "For we walk by faith, not by sight," the noble apostle says. Within the veil, then, is concealed the sacerdotal service; and it keeps those engaged in it far from those without.

Again, there is the veil of the entrance into the holy of holies. Four pillars there are, the sign of the sacred tetrad of the ancient covenants. Further, the mystic name of four letters which was affixed to those alone to whom the adytum was accessible, is called Jave, which is interpreted, "Who is and shall be." The name of God, too, among the Greeks contains four letters.

ταύτῃ τοι μυστικώτατα πέντε ἄρτοι πρὸς τοῦ σωτῆρος κατακλῶνται καὶ πληθύνουσι τῷ ὄχλῳ τῶν ἀκροωμένων. πολὺς γὰρ ὁ τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς ὡς μόνοις οὖσι προσανέχων. «ἄθρει δὴ περισκοπῶν,» φησὶν ὁ Πλάτων, «μή τις τῶν ἀμυήτων ἐπακούῃ. εἰσὶ δὲ οὗτοι οἱ οὐδὲν ἄλλο οἰόμενοι εἶναι ἢ οὗ ἂν ἀπρὶξ τοῖν χειροῖν λαβέσθαι δύναιντο, πράξεις δὲ καὶ γενέσεις καὶ πᾶν τὸ ἀόρατον οὐκ ἀποδεχόμενοι ὡς ἐν οὐσίας μέρει·» τοιοῦτοι γὰρ οἱ τῇ πεντάδι τῶν αἰσθήσεων προσανέχοντες μόνῃ. ἄβατον δὲ ἀκοαῖς καὶ τοῖς ὁμογενέσιν ἡ νόησις τοῦ θεοῦ. ἐντεῦθεν πρόσωπον εἴρηται τοῦ πατρὸς ὁ υἱός, αἰσθήσεων πεντάδι σαρκοφόρος γενόμενος, ὁ λόγος ὁ τοῦ πατρῴου μηνυτὴς ἰδιώματος. «εἰ δὲ ζῶμεν πνεύματι, πνεύματι καὶ στοιχῶμεν.» «διὰ πίστεως περιπατοῦμεν, οὐ διὰ εἴδους,» ὁ καλὸς ἀπόστολος λέγει. ἔνδον μὲν οὖν τοῦ καλύμματος ἱερατικὴ κέκρυπται διακονία καὶ τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ πονουμένους πολὺ τῶν ἔξω εἴργει. 

πάλιν τὸ παραπέτασμα τῆς εἰς τὰ ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων παρόδου, κίονες τέτταρες αὐτόθι, ἁγίας μήνυμα τετράδος διαθηκῶν παλαιῶν, ἀτὰρ καὶ τὸ τετράγραμμον ὄνομα τὸ μυστικόν, ὃ περιέκειντο οἷς μόνοις τὸ ἄδυτον βάσιμον ἦν· λέγεται δὲ Ἰαουε, ὃ μεθερμηνεύεται ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἐσόμενος. καὶ μὴν καὶ καθ’ Ἕλληνας θεὸς τὸ ὄνομα τετράδα περιέχει γραμμάτων. 

It is interesting to see the earliest Christian writer who is defining the tetragrammaton as "who is and shall be" has clearly been influenced by Plato. This is an example of a "possible allusion" but considering that the phrase wording doesn't align with the phrase wording of Beza's Revelation 16:5, it seems unreasonable to put much weight on it.


2. Gregory of Nyssa (d. 395), On the Baptism of Christ, A Sermon for the Day of the Lights. (link to translation

Διὰ δὴ ταῦτα πάντα τὸν τῆς χαρᾶς ὕμνον ἄσωμεν τῷ θεῷ, ὃν στόμα τῷ πνεύματι κάτοχον πάλαι προφητικῶς ἐξεβόησεν· Ἀγαλλιάσθω ἡ ψυχή μου ἐπὶ τῷ κυρίῳ· ἐνέδυσε γάρ με ἱμάτιον σωτηρίου καὶ χιτῶνα εὐφροσύνης περιέβαλέ μοι, ὡς νυμφίῳ περιέθηκέ μοι μίτραν καὶ ὡς νύμφην κατεκόσμησέ με κόσμῳ. κοσμήτωρ δὲ πάντως τῆς νύμφης ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ ὢν καὶ πρόων καὶ ἐσόμενος, εὐλογητὸς νῦν καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν. 

For all these things then let us sing to God that hymn of joy, which lips touched by the Spirit long ago sang loudly: Let my soul be joyful in the Lord: for He has clothed me with a garment of salvation, and has put upon me a robe of gladness: as on a bridegroom He has set a mitre upon me, and as a bride has He adorned me with fair array.  And verily the Adorner of the bride is Christ, Who is, and was, and shall be, blessed now and for evermore. Amen.

The reference to the Adorner of the bride is probably a reference to Septuagint Isaiah 61:10: "... Let my soul be glad in the Lord, for he has clothed me with a garment of salvation and with a tunic of joy; he has put on me a headdress as on a bridegroom and adorned me with ornaments like a bride." (NETS) ("... ἀγαλλιάσθω ἡ ψυχή μου ἐπὶ τῷ κυρίῳ ἐνέδυσεν γάρ με ἱμάτιον σωτηρίου καὶ χιτῶνα εὐφροσύνης ὡς νυμφίῳ περιέθηκέν μοι μίτραν καὶ ὡς νύμφην κατεκόσμησέν με κόσμῳ")  The reference to the lips touched by the Spirit is undoubtedly a reference to the account of the purification of Isaiah's lips (Isaiah 6:5-6)

Gregory's doxological conclusion is an explanation of Jesus as the Adorner together with praise of Jesus, calling him blessed and eternal.  This is an example of a "possible allusion" but considering that the phrase wording doesn't align with the phrase wording of Beza's Revelation 16:5, it seems unreasonable to put much weight on it.


3. Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444), Commentary on Isaiah, Book 4, Oration II, at Isaiah 44:6-7 (Greek at 924 D)

Thus says the Lord, the God, the King of Israel, the God of hosts who saved him: I am the first, and I am after these; besides me there is no God. Who is like me? Let him stand up, call, and prepare for me, since I made man into the world. And let them declare to you the things that are to come before they happen. Do not be deceived, and I have announced to you.

Making a remembrance of the knowledge in Christ through the readings now given to us, he shifts the discourse to another of the necessary things. For at that time, when the divine prophet Isaiah was composing such words for us, reigning among them was the hater of God, and he was in unbearable errors. For each had his own so-called god and reverence; God made it necessary for them to have advice, interwoven with the most ingenious reproaches; moving them away from polytheism and its infirmities; and inviting them through recognition to the knowledge of truth, and of His own glory and incomparable power, bringing it to memory. In this regard, he says: Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, the God of hosts who saved him. For He wants it to be known that He is God and the Lord of powers, and to be lifted up as if from drunkenness to see that they have been delivered from the greed of the Egyptians, performing wonders, and showing the greatness of His power and superiority. For what has not been done of the things wondered at? What plague has not been inflicted on those who oppressed them? Or how could there not be a clear demonstration of His indescribable power, with the sea standing apart, the waters freezing and forming like a wall, and the fleeing ones walking through the middle? And what about the miracles in the wilderness after this? Did He not give them bread from heaven? Did He not break open a rock in the wilderness, and water them as in a great abyss; and brought down waters like rivers? Did He not, by placing a sort of bridle on the waters of the Jordan, make a way to pass with a foot? Therefore, He rightly calls Himself not simply Lord and God in these things; but He added, And having saved him, bringing to memory, as I said, the paradoxically accomplished things through Him. Know then, he says, that I am God first, and I am after these, and besides me there was no God.

For God is the beginning of everything, being Himself without beginning, and everything was brought forth by Him into being; He then became under no one, but is, was, and will be. For this is His name, and an eternal memorial for generations of generations. Therefore, neither was there another God before Him, nor will there be one after Him. For there is one God by nature, and no other besides Him. This advice is very useful for those who have denied Him, and who have slipped into great folly in thinking that there are many gods. That no one else or different one can be counted upon Him, He demonstrates by saying: Who is like me? Who among the gods you have thought of, or named senselessly, will be according to my glory and power? From what great deeds have you believed them to be gods? Let someone stand, if there is one like me. Let someone prepare who has a nature equal in strength or glory. Let them call whoever they choose of the falsely-named gods, since I made man into the world. For I, he says, have created the heavens and the things in them, having flocks of countless holy spirits worshiping and serving me, but since I made man upon the earth, and in the following, that is, into the world, let someone show me one like me. But again saying, Since I made man, he shows himself to be the creator, and the falsely-named gods to be completely non-existent. For what of those worshiping them have they brought into being? But I, being a creator, am known, and the creator of everything, and having knowledge of all. Investigate this with the gods spoken of among you, let them declare to you the things that are to come before they happen. For it would be fitting for a god by nature to have all knowledge of both what has already happened and what will be. But if none among the falsely-named gods is found to have this, it is evident that those who do not have the knowledge of God could not be gods. Do not be deceived, instead of, Do not be silent, nor pretend.

 Οὕτω λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, ὁ ῥυσάμενος αὐτὸν Θεὸς Σαβαώθ· Ἐγὼ πρῶτος, καὶ ἐγὼ μετὰ ταῦτα· πλὴν ἐμοῦ οὐκ ἔστι Θεός. Τίς ὥσπερ ἐγώ; Στήτω, καὶ καλεσάτω, καὶ ἑτοιμασάτω μοι, ἀφ’ οὗ ἐποίησα ἄνθρωπον εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Καὶ τὰ ἐπερχόμενα πρὸ τοῦ ἐλθεῖν ἀναγγειλάτωσαν ὑμῖν. Μὴ παρακαλύπτεσθε, καὶ ἀπήγγειλα ὑμῖν.

  Τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ γνώσεως διὰ τῶν ἀρτίως ἡμῖν ἀναγνώσεων ποιησάμενος μνήμην, μεθίστησι τὸν λόγον ἐφ’ ἕτερόν τι τῶν ἀναγκαίων. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ κατ’ ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ, καθ’ ὃν ὁ θεσπέσιος προφήτης Ἡσαΐας τοὺς περὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἡμῖν συνετίθει λόγους, βασιλεύοντος παρ’ αὐτοῖς θεομισοῦς, καὶ ἐν ἀφορήτοις γέγονεν ὀλισθήμασιν. Ἦν γὰρ ἑκάστῳ τὸ δοκοῦν θεὸς καὶ σέβας· ἀναγκαίαν αὐτοῖς τὴν παραίνεσιν εὐφυεστάτοις ἐλέγχοις ἐγκεκλωσμένην ποιεῖται Θεός· μεθιστὰς μὲν αὐτοὺς τῆς πολυθεΐας, καὶ τῶν ἐν τούτοις ἀῤῥωστημάτων· προσκαλούμενος δὲ διὰ μεταγνώσεως εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας, καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ δόξης, καὶ ἀσυγκρίτου δυνάμεως ἀνακομίζων εἰς ἀνάμνησιν. Ταύτῃ τοι φησίν· Οὕτω λέγει Κύριος ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, ὁ ῥυσάμενος αὐτὸν Θεὸς Σαβαώθ. Ὅτι γὰρ Θεός ἐστι καὶ τῶν δυνάμεων Κύριος, εἰδέναι βούλεται, καὶ καθάπερ ἐκ μέθης ἀνενεγκόντας ἰδεῖν, ὅτι καὶ τῆς Αἰγυπτίων πλεονεξίας ἐξῄρηνται, θαυματουργοῦντος αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτῷ δυνάμεως, καὶ ὑπεροχῆς τὸ μέγεθος ἐμφανίζοντος. Τί γὰρ οὐ πέπρακται τῶν τεθαυμασμένων; Ποία δὲ τοῖς πλεονεκτοῦσιν αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἐπηνέχθη πληγή; Ἢ πῶς τῆς ἀφράστου δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο σαφὴς ἀπόδειξις, τὸ διαστῆναι μὲν θάλασσαν, παγῆναι δὲ καὶ ὡσεὶ τεῖχος τὰ ὕδατα, καὶ διὰ μέσων ἰέναι τοὺς φεύγοντας; Τί δὲ δὴ τὰ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ μετὰ τοῦτο θαυματουργήματα; Οὐκ ἄρτον αὐτοῖς ἔδωκε τὸν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ; Οὐ διέῤῥηξε πέτραν ἐν ἐρήμῳ, καὶ ἐπότισεν αὐτοὺς ὡς ἐν ἀβύσσῳ πολλῇ; καὶ κατήγαγεν ὡς ποταμοὺς ὕδατα; οὐ τοῖς Ἰορδάνου νάμασιν οἷά τινα χαλινὸν ἐπιθεὶς, ποδὶ παρεσκεύασε παρελθεῖν; Ἀναγκαίως τοίνυν, οὐχ ἁπλῶς Κύριόν τε καὶ Θεὸν ἐν τούτοις ἑαυτὸν ἀποκαλεῖ· προσεπήγαγε δὲ, ὅτι Καὶ ῥυσάμενος αὐτὸν, εἰς ἀνάμνησιν ἀνακομίζων, ὡς ἔφην, τῶν δι’ αὐτὸν παραδόξως τετελεσμένων. Ἴσθι δὴ οὖν, φησὶν, ὅτι Ἐγὼ Θεὸς πρῶτος, καὶ ἐγὼ μετὰ ταῦτα, καὶ πλὴν ἐμοῦ οὐκ ἦν Θεός. 

Ἀρχὴ γὰρ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, ἄναρχος ὢν αὐτὸς, καὶ παρ’ αὐτοῦ πάντα παρήχθη πρὸς γένεσιν· αὐτὸς μὲν οὖν γέγονεν ὑπ’ οὐδενὸς, ἀλλ’ ἔστιν ὤν τε καὶ ἐσόμενος. Τοῦτο γὰρ ὄνομα αὐτῷ, καὶ μνημόσυνον αἰώνιον γενεῶν γενεαῖς. Οὔτε τοίνυν πρὸ αὐτοῦ Θεὸς ἕτερος ἦν, οὔτε τις ἔσται μετ’ αὐτόν. Εἷς γὰρ φύσει Θεὸς, καὶ ἕτερος παρ’ αὐτὸν οὐδείς. Χρησιμωτάτη δὲ λίαν ἡ παραίνεσις τοῖς ἀρνησαμένοις αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐκ πολλῆς ἄγαν ἀσυνεσίας ὠλισθηκόσιν εἴς γε τὸ οἴεσθαι θεοὺς εἶναι πολλούς. Ὅτι δὲ κατ’ αὐτὸν οὐδεὶς ἤγουν ἕτερος ἐπ’ αὐτῷ καταλογισθῆναι, διαδείκνυσι λέγων· Τίς ὥσπερ ἐγώ; Ποῖος ἄρα τοῖς παρ’ ὑμῶν ὑπονοηθεῖσι θεοῖς, ἤγουν ἀσυνέτως ὠνομασμένοις, κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν ἔσται δόξαν τε καὶ δύναμιν; Ἐκ ποίας ἄρα μεγαλουργίας θεοὺς αὐτοὺς εἶναι πεπιστεύκατε; Στήτω τις, εἴπερ ἐστὶ κατ’ ἐμέ. Ἑτοιμασάτω τις τὸν ἰσόῤῥοπον ἔχοντα φύσιν, ἢ κατ’ ἰσχὺν ἢ δόξαν. Καλεσάτωσαν οὓς ἂν ἕλοιντο τῶν ψευδωνύμων θεῶν, ἀφ’ οὗ ἐποίησα ἄνθρωπον εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Ἐκτισάμην γὰρ, φησὶν, οὐρανοὺς, καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς, ἀναριθμήτων ἁγίων πνευμάτων ἀγέλας προσκυνούσας ἔχων καὶ λατρευούσας ἐμοὶ, πλὴν ἀφ’ οὗ πεποίηκα τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐφεξῆς, τοῦτ’ ἔστιν, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, δειξάτω μοί τις τὸν κατ’ ἐμέ. Λέγων δὲ πάλιν τὸ, Ἀφ’ οὗ ἐποίησα ἄνθρωπον, ἑαυτὸν μὲν δείκνυσιν ὄντα δημιουργὸν, τοὺς δὲ ψευδωνύμους θεοὺς οὐδὲν ὄντας παντελῶς. Τίνα γὰρ τῶν προσκυνούντων αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ εἶναι παρήνεγκαν; πλὴν δημιουργὸς ἐγὼ ὑπάρχων γνωρίζομαι, καὶ κτίστης τῶν ὅλων, καὶ ἁπάντων ἔχων τὴν γνῶσιν. Ἐρευνήσατε τοῦτο παρὰ τοῖς παρ’ ὑμῶν ῥηθεῖσι θεοῖς, τὰ ἐπερχόμενα πρὸ τοῦ ἐλθεῖν ἀναγγειλάτωσαν ὑμῖν. Θεῷ γὰρ κατὰ φύσιν πρέποι ἂν τὸ πᾶσαν ἔχειν τὴν γνῶσιν τῶν τε ἤδη παρῳχηκότων, καὶ τῶν ἐσομένων. Εἰ δὲ οὐδεὶς ἐν τοῖς ψευδωνύμοις θεοῖς τοῦτο λαχὼν εὑρίσκεται, ἀσυμφανὲς, ὅτι οἱ τὴν Θεοῦ γνῶσιν οὐκ ἔχοντες, οὐκ ἂν εἶεν θεοί. Μὴ παρακαλύπτεσθε, ἀντὶ τοῦ, Μὴ σιωπᾶτε, μηδὲ ἀποπροσποιεῖσθε.

This is an example of a "possible allusion" but considering that the phrase wording doesn't align with the phrase wording of Beza's Revelation 16:5, it seems unreasonable to put much weight on it.


4. Olympiodorus the Deacon (of Alexandria?)(Sixth Century?), Commentary on Jeremiah (taken from catena fragments):

 «Ἰωσεδέκ.» Ἰωσεδὲκ ἑρμηνεύεται, Ἰωὰ δίκαιος, τουτέστι δικαιοσύνη ἡμῶν· ἢ Ἰωὰ, ὢν καὶ ἐσόμενος, Ἰωσεδέκ· καὶ διὰ τὴν ὁμωνυμίαν υἱοῦ τοῦ Ἰωσεδὲκ, τοῦ ἡγησαμένου τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἀπὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας. Πολλάκις γὰρ ἡ Γραφὴ καὶ ἀπὸ ὀνομάτων τὰ πράγματα κρίνει· ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Μελχισεδὲκ, ὃς ἑρμηνεύεται βασιλεὺς εἰρήνης. Ἐν τοῖς προφήταις ἐπειδὴ καὶ προφήτης ἠξίωσε κληθῆναι, καθὸ γέγονεν ἅνθρωπος, ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς, ὁ τῶν προφητῶν Δεσπότης, κατὰ τὸν διὰ Μωσέως χρησμὸν λέγοντα, Προφήτην ὑμῖν ἀναστήσει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν ὡς ἐμέ· κατὰ πάντα αὐτοῦ ἀκούσεσθε.

"Ἰωσεδέκ." Ἰωσεδέκ is interpreted as "Ἰωὰ the righteous," which means our righteousness. Or "Ἰωὰ," meaning "being and becoming," Josedek. And because of the similarity in name, it refers to the son of Josedek, who led the sons of Israel out of captivity. For often, Scripture judges things based on names, as in the case of Melchizedek, who is interpreted as the "king of peace." In the prophets, since even a prophet was deemed worthy to be called, just as it happened, a man, the Son of God, the Lord, the Master of the prophets, according to the prophecy through Moses, saying, "The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me; you shall listen to Him in everything."

As to the substance of this commentary, the author is clearly working from Septuagint Jeremiah, which has the text as: "ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ σωθήσεται Ιουδας καὶ Ισραηλ κατασκηνώσει πεποιθώς καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ὃ καλέσει αὐτὸν κύριος Ιωσεδεκ."  The KJV provides "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS," as the translation of "יְהוָה צִדְקֵֽנוּ" (YHWH tzidkenu).

What's interesting about this is the underlying idea that the Greek name Ἰωσεδέκ (Josedek) means "Ἰωὰ the righteous," with Ἰωὰ being a name of God.

Please note that this passage does not align with the text of the commentary on Jeremiah (per TA Virginia, Jr.), nor does it align with the text of the commentary on Baruch (per M Smensgård). So, perhaps the attribution is wrong, either perhaps it is in the Lamentations commentary, or perhaps it's spuriously attributed. 

5. Euthymius Protasecretis (10th century?)  "For me, to live is Christ, who is all in all, both now and forever; and to die is eternal, undying gain." ("Ἐμοὶ γοῦν τὸ ζῆν Χριστός, ὁ τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσι καὶ ὢν καὶ ἐσόμενος· τὸ δὲ ἀποθανεῖν κέρδος αἰωνίως ἀθάνατον.")(context and translation here)

This is best seen as an expansion of Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ( ἐμοὶ γὰρ τὸ ζῆν Χριστὸς καὶ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν κέρδος) (compare: Ἐμοὶ γοῦν τὸ ζῆν Χριστός, ὁ τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσι καὶ ὢν καὶ ἐσόμενος· τὸ δὲ ἀποθανεῖν κέρδος αἰωνίως ἀθάνατον.)   The expansion "all in all" seems potentially to be taken from Ephesians 1:23 ("all in all" "τοῦ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν") or perhaps 1 Corinthians 15:28 ("all in all" "τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν").  The concept of "now and always" ("καὶ ὢν καὶ ἐσόμενος") is similar conceptually with 2 Peter 3:18 and Jude 25, while "eternal undying" has broad conceptual support in terms of "eternal life" and similar New Testament concepts.

This is an example of a "possible allusion" but considering that the phrase wording doesn't align with the phrase wording of Beza's Revelation 16:5, it seems unreasonable to put much weight on it.


The following were some results that were interesting (at least to me, but not particularly relevant):

6. John Climacus (d. 649), Ladder to Paradise (Scaala Paradisi), Step (Chapter) 29, section 10: "I am wholly united with God, and always will be" (ἡνωμένος ὅλος ὢν, καὶ ἀεὶ ἐσόμενος Θεῷ) (link to translation).

I don't see this as having any real likelihood of being seen as an allusion to Revelation 16:5, since it is about the person himself, and speaks more to something like eternal security through unity with Christ.  Nevertheless, it is beautiful, and I include it for completeness.


7. Manuel Chrysoloras (d. 1415), Questions of the Art of Grammar, Section 63 (with English interspersed):

Μετοχή· (participle) ὁ ὤν ὄντος (the being, of the being [masculine]), ἡ οὖσα οὔσης (the being, of the being [feminine]), τὸ ὄν ὄντος (the being, of the being [neuter]).

Μέλλων· (future) ὁ ἐσόμενος τοῦ –μένου (the one who will be, of the -ing [masculine]), ἡ ἐσομένη τῆς –μένης (the one who will be, of the -ing [feminine]), τὸ ἐσόμενον τοῦ –μένου (the one who will be, of the -ing [neuter]). 

Obviously not an allusion to any particular text, just an interesting Greek grammar in Greek.


8. Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444), Exposition on the Psalms (Greek available here) at LXX Psalm 40 (Psalm 41:10 in our Bibles)

"But you, O Lord, have mercy on me, and raise me up, and I will repay them."

"These things are fitting for Christ because of the measure of humanity. For again, consider for me the Word of God, who exists in the form of God and equal with God the Father, revealed from His essence, co-throned and co-ruling over all, as being in a state of submission and diminishment due to His likeness to us, and more humanly due to His self-emptying, or rather divinely, the words He makes towards His own Father: 'Have mercy on me, he says, and raise me up.' And yet, how is it not clear to all that He Himself is naturally the mercy of God the Father? And likewise, He is the resurrection and the life, according to His own voice. But it was necessary for Him to fulfill all righteousness; and since He became a man, not to reject the humility of humanity, nor to disdain the words befitting it, due to the skill of His dispensation. We say, then, that He asks for mercy and, in conjunction with it, resurrection, not so much for Himself, but for us who are in need of mercy and resurrection. For as sin entered the world, and death through and because of it, so, with the expulsion of sin from the world, death is expelled. For we are justified in Christ by the merciful God the Father. Therefore, death has its solution in the resurrection of Christ, through whom and in whom human nature sprouted towards incorruptibility and life. 'When you raise me up, Father,' he says, 'then I will repay them,' clearly meaning those who have wronged Him. But still, he returns again from our human humility to the divine propriety. For He did not say to the Father in heaven, 'When you raise me, then you will repay them,' but as Himself being the judge of all and understood as God, 'I will repay them,' he says. As He Himself again says, 'The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father.' And that our Lord Jesus being raised by the Father from the dead is accomplished through Him, how could one doubt? For He is, as I said, the resurrection and the life. And so He also said to the Jews about His own body, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it.' And that the Jews have exacted retribution for their impiety towards Him, it would not take long words to demonstrate, they themselves having proclaimed what happened to them. For He repaid them, having delivered them to the Romans. Then again He humanly says..."

Σὺ δὲ, Κύριε, ἐλέησόν με, καὶ ἀνάστησόν με, καὶ ἀνταποδώσω αὐτοῖς.

Ταῦτα ἁρμόττει τῷ Χριστῷ διὰ τὸ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος μέτρον. Ἄθρει γάρ μοι πάλιν τὸν ὑπάρχοντα μὲν ἐν μορφῇ καὶ ἰσότητι τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς Θεὸν Λόγον, τὸν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ πεφηνότα, σύνθρονόν τε αὐτοῦ καὶ συγκατάρχοντα τῶν ὅλων, ὡς ἐν ὑφέσει τε ὄντα καὶ ἐν μείοσιν διά τοι τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὁμοίωσιν, καὶ ἀνθρωπίνως μᾶλλον διὰ τὴν κένωσιν, ἤγουν θεοπρεπῶς, τοὺς πρός γε τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Πατέρα ποιούμενον λόγους· «Ἐλέησόν με γὰρ, φησὶν, καὶ ἀνάστησόν με.» Καίτοι πῶς οὐχ ἅπασιν ἐναργὲς ὡς αὐτός ἐστιν κατὰ φύσιν τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός; αὐτὸς δὲ ὁμοίως ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωὴ, κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ φωνήν. Ἀλλ’ ἦν ἀναγκαῖον πᾶσαν αὐτὸν πληρῶσαι δικαιοσύνην· καὶ ἐπειδὴ γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, τὸ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος μὴ παραιτεῖσθαι σμικροπρεπὲς, μήτε μὴν τοὺς αὐτῇ πρέποντας ἀπαξιῶσαι λόγους, διὰ τὸ τῆς οἰκονομίας εὐτεχνές. Φαμὲν δὲ ὅτι τὸν ἔλεον, καὶ συνεζευγμένως αὐτῷ τὴν ἀνάστασιν, οὐχ ἑαυτῷ μᾶλλον, ἀλλ’ ἡμῖν αἰτεῖ τοῖς ἐν χρείᾳ καθεστηκόσιν ἐλέου καὶ ἀναστάσεως. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἰσελθούσης εἰς τὸν κόσμον τῆς ἁμαρτίας, συνεισήλατο καθάπερ ἰδίᾳ μητρὶ, καὶ ὁ δι’ αὐτήν τε καὶ δι’ αὐτῆς ἀναφὺς θάνατος· οὕτως ἐξωσθείσης ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τῆς ἁμαρτίας, συνεξήλατο καὶ ὁ θάνατος. Δικαιούμεθα γὰρ ἐν Χριστῷ κατοικτείροντος ἡμᾶς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός. Λύσιν οὖν ὁ θάνατος ἔχει τὴν ἀνάστασιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι’ οὗ καὶ ἐν ᾧ πρὸς ἀφθαρσίαν καὶ ζωὴν ἀνέθαλεν ἡ ἀνθρώπου φύσις. Ὅταν τοίνυν ἀναστήσῃς με, φησὶν, ὦ Πάτερ, τότε καὶ ἀνταποδώσω αὐτοῖς, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι τοῖς εἰς αὐτὸν πεπαρῳνηκόσιν. Ἐπιτήρει δ’ ὅμως, ὡς ἐκ τῆς καθ’ ἡμᾶς σμικροπρεπείας ἀναφοιτᾷ πάλιν .. [εἰς τὸ] θεοπρεπές. Οὐ γὰρ ἔφη πρὸς τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς Πατέρα, ὅτι Ὅταν ἀναστήσῃς με, τότε καὶ ἀνταποδώσεις αὐτοῖς, ἀλλ’ ὡς αὐτὸς ἐσόμενος τῶν ὅλων κριτὴς καὶ ἔστι καὶ νοεῖται Θεὸς, «Ἀνταποδώσω, φησὶν, αὐτοῖς.» Ὡς γὰρ αὐτός που πάλιν φησὶν, «Ὁ Πατὴρ κρίνει οὐδένα, ἀλλὰ τὴν πᾶσαν κρίσιν δέδωκεν τῷ Υἱῷ, ἵνα πάντες τιμῶσι τὸν Υἱὸν, καθὼς τιμῶσι τὸν Πατέρα.» Ὅτι δὲ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἀναστῆσαι λεγομένου τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν ἐκ νεκρῶν, δι’ αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῦτο κατώρθωται, πῶς ἂν ἐνδοιάσειέ τις; Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν, ὡς ἔφην, ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή· Τοιγάρτοι καὶ ἔφη πρὸς Ἰουδαίους περὶ τοῦ ἰδίου σώματος· «Λύσατε τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον, καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις ἐγερῶ αὐτόν.» Ὅτι δὲ δίκας ἐκτετίκασιν Ἰουδαῖοι τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν γενομένης δυσσεβείας, οὐ μακρῶν ἂν γένοιτο χρεία λόγων, αὐτῶν τοῦτο κεκραγότων τῶν συμβεβηκότων αὐτοῖς. Ἀνταπέδωκε γὰρ, Ῥωμαίοις αὐτοὺς παραδούς. Εἶτα πάλιν ἀνθρωπίνως φησίν·

I don't think this is even a possible allusion, but still interesting.


Monday, January 19, 2015

Just Psalms? How about Ephesians and Colossians?

From time to time, people ask me about why Christians might sing only Psalms in the worship of God. One of the more understandable arguments they sometimes present is an appeal to one or both of these verses:
Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
My response to them on this is that we need to look at how the terms Paul uses would have been understood to people in a 1st century context. In that context, there was no "Trinity Hymnal" nor any "Praise Song" transparencies or the like. So, Paul wasn't speaking about three different sources, i.e. the Psalter, the Hymnal, and the Praise Songs licensed by CCLI.

What was Paul referring to? He was referring to the Psalter. This may seem surprising, because we have so closely associated the term "Psalm" with the book of Psalms, whereas we have associated the word "Hymn" with songs that aren't in the Psalter.

Nevertheless, the terms translated "psalms," "hymns," and "songs" are three of the four words commonly used in the Septuagint titles of the Psalms. Specifically: ψαλμοσ (Psalm)(66 times), συνεσεοσ/συνοισ (understanding or wisdom)(13 times), υμνοισ (hymn)(6 times), and ωδη/ωδησ (song or ode)(36 times). (see more detailed analysis here)


Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The Modern Roman Canon and the Book of Esdras A

The following was originally written by Sir Henry H. Howorth, as "The Modern Roman Canon and the Book of Esdras A," The Journal of Theological Studies, Volume VII, pp. 343-54 (Oxford: 1906). I'm simply republishing this as a scholarly discussion of the issue of Septuagint Esdras 1 or "Esdras A" (Ἔσδρας Α) and the North African councils. I'm not adopting the opinions of this author - in particular I don't agree with his opinion that the book should be received within the canon.

The Modern Roman Canon and the Book of Esdras A


In a series of letters published in the Academy some twenty years ago, and subsequently in articles in the Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, I claim to have definitely proved that the text of the Canonical Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah contained in the extant Greek Bibles is not a Septuagint text at all, and ought to have no place in any edition of the Greek Bible professing to represent the Septuagint.

On the contrary, the text represents very faithfully one of the Greek translations from the Hebrew made in the second century A.D. It has no value, therefore, for the independent criticism of the Masoretic edition of the Bible, and is merely useful as shewing the state of the text of the three books as they stood in that edition in the second century A.D., when, according to the most competent authorities its archetype was compiled and edited.

This conclusion seems to me to be of the first importance, for it sweeps away all the textual criticism of the three books in question based upon the erroneous postulate that the Masoretic text in them is singularly free from corruption because it is so continuously supported by the Septuagint. Inasmuch as profitable criticism of the Old Testament should begin with its latest books, it is supremely important that such a mistake should not be perpetuated by the authorities responsible for the new Cambridge Bible.

The problem to be solved is, however, a bilateral one. It does not mean merely that the texts thus referred to (i.e. the canonical Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah) are in no sense Septuagint texts, but it means the rehabilitation in that character of another text, namely Ἔσδρας Α in the Greek Uncials, which until lately has received very scant courtesy among the critics, especially in Germany, who have persistently misapprehended its true character.

It has been treated even worse by the theologians, both by those of the Roman Church, which has always stood by the Septuagint Canon, and by the Reformers whose most potent and far-reaching innovation, theologically speaking, was probably the substitution of the Hebrew or Masoretic Canon of the Bible for that which the Christian world both east and west had clung to for fifteen centuries.

Singularly enough, however, the champions both of the longer and of the shorter Canon have agreed in modern times to treat with despite a document (namely Ἔσδρας Α) the true history of which has been misapprehended, and its supreme value overlooked. The fact is peculiarly interesting and important in regard to the Roman position in the matter, and I propose in the following pages to examine how it has come about that a Church with whom the theory of continuous tradition is so dominant should have in fact departed so completely from its own early tradition in regard to this book, and to shew that this departure has been entirely due to a mistake, a very pardonable mistake, and in no sense to prejudice or predetermination.

In order to shew this I must shortly trace the history of the Canon of the Old Testament in the Roman Church. The last authoritative pronouncement on the subject is contained in chapter 2 of the Decree of the Vatican Council, dated April 24, 1870, entitled Constitutio dogmatica de fide catholica. In this pronouncement it is affirmed that the doctrine of Supernatural Revelation, according to the faith of the Universal Church as declared at the Council of Trent, consists in written books and in the traditions preserved by the Church. In regard to the former the decisions of Trent are accepted and confirmed in the following sentence of the decree:—

Qui quidem veteris et novi testamenti libri integri cum omnibus suis partibus, prout in eiusdem concilii decreto recensentur, et in veteri vulgata latina editione habentur, pro sacris et canonicis suscipiendi sunt.

The Vatican Council, therefore, in the matter of the Canon merely reiterates and reaffirms, as was in fact alone necessary, the conclusions pronounced by that of Trent. It gives no list of sacred books, and accepts in terms the finding on the subject of the Tridentine fathers.

Let us now turn to the Council of Trent.

On February 8, 1546, a General Congregation of that Council was held, and it was proposed to issue a decree in regard to the authority of the Holy Scriptures, and as to any improvement that might be made in their teaching or interpretation. The Council was divided into three sections, and the second section, which was presided over by Cardinal Marcello Cervini, afterwards Pope Marcellus II, was especially entrusted with an examination of the question, and with the sifting of the evidence from the eighty-fifth of the Apostolical Canons down to the decrees of the Council of Florence. The discussion was prolonged and interesting, and raised many critical points. Various suggestions about the distinction between canonical and deuterocanonical books and about the authority of particular books were made, but the majority were of opinion that the sacred books should be received simply and without discrimination as they had been at other councils, and especially at the Council of Florence. At length the Cardinal reported the results of the discussion to another meeting of the General Congregation, when, in the words of the report preserved by the secretaries,

omnes convenere ut receptio librorum sacrorum fieret simpliciter sicut factum fuit in concilio Florentino ... De ipsorum autem librorum discrimine, etsi plures rem utilem, minus tarnen necessariam iudicarent; maioris nihilo minus partis sententia praevaluit ut quaestio huiusmodi omitteretur, relinquereturque sicut nobis a sanctis patribus relicta fuit. —Theiner I, 52.

In this quite logical and most sensible pronouncement the Church of Rome, putting aside all considerations and arguments which had been urged to the contrary, decided to stand on its own ancient tradition, and in particular upon the pronouncement made on this subject at the Council of Florence. Therefore by a decree issued on April 8, 1546, at the fourth session of the Council, under the heading 'Decretum de Canonicis Scripturis', it was determined inter alia as follows :—

Sacrorum vero librorum indicem huic decreto adscribendum censuit, ne cui dubitatio suboriri possit, quinam sint qui ab ipsa synodo suscipiuntur. Sunt vero infra scripti. Testamenti veteris: quinque Moysis, id est: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numeri, Deuteronomium; Iosuae, Iudicum, Ruth, quatuor Regum, duo Paralipomenon, Esdrae primus et secundas, qui dicitur Nehemias, Tobias, Iudith, Esther, Iob, Psalterium Davidicum centum quinquaginta psalmorum, Parabolae, Ecclesiastes, Canticum Canticorum, Sapientia, Ecclesiasticus, Isaías, Ieremias cum Baruch, Ezechiel, Daniel, duodecim prophetae minores, id est: Osea, Ioel, Amos, Abdias, Ionas, Michaeas, Nahum, Habacuc, Sophonias, Aggaeus, Zacharías, Malachias, duo Macchabaeorum primus et secundus. Testamenti novi. . . . . .

Then follows a list of the books of the New Testament, which is again followed by certain words defining the actual text to be appealed to, and which are very important for our purpose.

It is in fact provided that the text alone authorized as the ultima lex of all appeals is the Vulgate. The following are the actual words used in the 'Decretum de editione et usu sacrorum librorum':—

Insuper eadem sacrosancta synodus considerans non parum utilitatis accedere posse ecclesiae Dei, si ex omnibus latinis editionibus, quae circumferuntur, sacrorum librorum, quaenam pro authentica habenda sit, innotescat: statuit et declarat, ut haec ipsa vetus et vulgata editio quae longo tot saeculorum usu in ipsa ecclesia probata est, in publicis lectionibus, disputationibus, praedicationibus et expositionibus pro authentica habeatur, et ut nemo illam reiicere quovis praetextu audeat vel praesumat.

It cannot fail to be noticed that in these pronouncements there is a palpable contradiction. If the books enumerated are alone to be deemed canonical, it seems difficult to understand how the Vulgate edition of the Bible as then received was to be treated as the conclusive authority in all disputes and controversies, since it contained, in very many if not in most existing copies, at least two additional works which were treated in them as of equal and co-ordinate authority with the remaining books, namely those which in the Latin Bibles were called Esdras III (that is Ἔσδρας Α) and Esdras IV; while some copies of the Vulgate also contained a third book not above enumerated, namely, the Prayer of Manasses, as well as the so-called Third book of Maccabees.

This contradiction between the pronouncement of the Council and the contents of the Vulgate texts which were and had long been current, was apparently ignored by the fathers at Trent. It led, however, to a considerable change in the editions of the Vulgate subsequently printed, by which their contents were in a measure equated with the conciliar list of recognized books. As is well known, in the famous and authoritative edition of the Vulgate issued by Pope Sixtus V in 1590, the two books Esdras III and IV, together with the so-called Prayer of Manasses, were omitted entirely. This was justified in the preface in the following sentence:—

Nos autem ut haec Vetus editio, quae nunc prodit nostro excusa prelo, eiusdem Synodi [i.e. Trent] praescripto modis omnibus respondeat non solum veteres, et ab Ecclesia receptos loquendi modos conservavimus, sed etiam apocrypha reiecimus, authentica retinuimus. Nam tertium et quartum Esdrae libros inscriptos, et tertium Maccabaeorum, quos Synodus inter Canonicos non annumerat, assentientibus etiam in hoc praedictis Cardinalibus Congregationis super Typographia Vaticana deputatae, ab hac editione prorsus explosimus. Orationem etiam Manassae, quae neque in Hebraeo, neque in Graeco textu est, neque in antiquioribus Manuscriptis Latinis exemplaribus reperitur, sed in impressis tantum post Librum secundum Paralipomenon affixa est, tanquam insutam, adiectam et in textu sacrorum librorum locum non habentem repudiavimus.

In the subsequent and corrected and still more authoritative edition of Clement VIII, published three years later, and in all subsequent editions of the Roman Vulgate the three books just mentioned were reinstated, but instead of being placed in the old position they occupied in the mediaeval Latin Bibles, they were remitted to an appendix. This again was justified in the preface in the following words :—

Porro in hac editione nihil non canonicum, nihil adscititium, nihil extraneum apponere visum est: atque ea causa fuit, cur libri tertius et quartus Esdrae inscripti, quos inter canonicos libros sacra Tridentina Synodus non annumeravit, ipsa etiam Manassae regis Oratio, quae neque hebraice, neque graece quidem exstat, neque in manuscriptis antiquioribus invenitur, neque pars est ullius canonici libri, extra canonicae scripturae seriem posita sunt.

The appendix to which the three books were remitted is headed—

Oratio Manassae, necnon libri duo, qui sub Libri Tertii et Quarti Esdrae nomine circumferuntur, hoc in loco, extra scilicet seriem canonicorum librorum quos sancta Tridentina Synodus suscepit et pro canonicis suscipiendos decrevit, sepositi sunt ne prorsus interirent, quippe qui a nonnullis Sanctis Patribus interdum citantur et in aliquibus Bibliis latinis tam manuscriptis quam impressis reperiuntur.

It will be noted that in Clement VIII's edition of the Vulgate, which is the one now authorized, not a word is said of the Third book of Maccabees, which had a place in some of the old copies of the Vulgate.

The removal of the three books above mentioned from the text of the Bible, and the planting of them in a kind of suspense account in an Appendix, while it made the text of the canonical books in the rest of the Bible consistent with the enumeration in the decree of the Tridentine Council, was clearly a tampering with the text of the Vulgate as previously received, though this had been declared by the same Council to be the official and authentic text. Let us, however, turn to the Council of Florence, which was held in 1439, and which the Fathers at Trent professed to follow and to be bound by.

In the Bull published on February 4, 1441, by Eugenius IV affirming the decision of the Florentine Council in regard to the pronouncement which was made in view of the reunion with the Church of Rome of the Jacobites of Egypt, we have an enumeration of the books then recognized as canonical by the Western Church. This list was followed implicitly by the Council of Trent. There are variations, however, of phraseology, and I think it better as the question is one involving polemical issues to transcribe it as it stands in the Bull. The important part for our purpose runs as follows:—

Unum atque eundem Deum veteris et novi testamenti, hoc est Legis et Prophetarum atque Evangelii profitetur auctorem; quoniam, eodem Spiritu Sancto inspirante, utriusque testamenti Sancti locuti sunt, quorum libros suscipit et veneratur, qui titulis sequentibus continentur: Quinque Moysis, id est Genesi, Exodo, Levitico, Numeris, Deuteronomio, Iosue, Iudicum, Ruth; Quatuor Regum; Duobus Paralipomenon: Esdra, Nehemia, Tobia, Iudith, Hester, Iob, Psalmis David, Parabolis, Ecclesiaste, Canticis Canticorum, Sapientia, Ecclesiastico, Isaia, Ieremia, Baruch, Ezechiele, Daniele; Duodecim Prophetis minoribus, id est Oseae, Ioele, Amos, Abdia, Iona, Michea, Nahum, Habacuc, Sophonia, Aggeo, Zacharia, Malachia; Duobus Maccabaeorum.— Bullarium Rom. Romae 1638, I p. 273 [FN1: In this extract from the Bull, as in the corresponding one from the Tridentine pronouncement, the italics are mine.].

Then follows a list of the New Testament books.

It will be seen that this enumeration is in substance precisely that of the Council of Trent, and that here, as at the subsequent Councils of Trent and the Vatican, no distinction whatever is made between proto-canonical and deutero-canonical, canonical and apocryphal, &c., but all the books enumerated were treated as equally canonical. It will also be noted that no mention is here made of the third and fourth books of Esdras, notwithstanding that virtually every copy of the Latin Bible then in use contained them.

In regard to the decision of the Council of Florence as pronounced by the Pope in his Decretal, we cannot appeal for justification to the minutes of the discussion upon its contents as we can at Trent, since they are not extant, and we must turn elsewhere to find some previous official pronouncement in the same behalf, for we can hardly doubt that on such an occasion the definition of the Biblical Canon would be made with especial care and with consideration for precedent. For such precedent we have to go back a long way. This is to be accounted for by the fact that questions as to the Canon had not disturbed men's minds in the Middle Ages, and there had not, therefore, been any necessity or occasion for an official pronouncement on the subject. We have to go back, in fact, to the famous African Code, which is headed 'The Canons of the 217 blessed fathers who assembled at Carthage', commonly called 'The Code of Canons of the African Church', and which was passed and authorized in the year 419 A.D. Johnson, in his Clergyman's vade mecum, London, second edition, 1714, part II, has given an excellent account of them, which has not been improved since. He says:—'Councils were nowhere more frequently called in the Primitive Times than in Africa. In the year 418-419 all Canons formerly made in sixteen Councils held at Carthage, one at Milevis, and one at Hippo, that were approved of were read, and received a new sanction from a great number of bishops then met in Synod at Carthage. This collection is the Code of the African Church, which was always in greatest repute in all churches next after the Code of the Universal Church. This Code was of very great authority in the old English Churches, for many of the exceptions of Egbert were transcribed from it. And though the Code of the Universal Church ends with the Canons of Chalcedon, yet these African Canons are inserted into the Ancient Code both of the Eastern and Western Churches.'

At the Council of Carthage held in 419 the Pope was represented by Faustinas, bishop of Potentia in the Italian province of Picenum, as legate. The Canon there enacted, and headed 'De Scripturis Canonicis' (Labbe iv 430), was a reiteration and reaffirmation of those enacted inter alia at the Councils of Hippo in 393 and of Carthage in 397.

The 36th Canon of the Council of Hippo declares that besides the canonical Scriptures nothing is to be read in the Church under the name of Divine Scriptures. It then enumerates what the Canonical Scriptures are, and, so far as I know, there is no conciliar pronouncement on the subject between these African Synods and the Council of Florence. Their enumeration of the Old Testament books is as follows :—

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numeri, Deuteronomium, Iesu Nave, Iudicum, Ruth, Regnorum libri quatuor, Paralipomenon libri duo, Iob, Psalterium Davidicum, Salomonis libri quinque, Duodecim libri Prophetarum, Esaias, Ieremias, Daniel, Ezechiel, Tobias, Iudith, Hester, Hesdrae libri duo[FN1: These italics are my own.], Machabaeorum libri duo.

The iteration of this Canon by the African Councils was probably due, as Father Loisy has suggested, to the fear, entertained by many, of the revolutionary ideas of Jerome. Nothing could well be more authoritative, however, and more precise than the position that the list of books above quoted was deemed by these three very important Synods to be the Catholic usage in the Western Church in regard to the contents of the Canon of the Old Testament at the end of the fourth century.

On comparing the list of books authorized as Canonical by the African Synods with those of the Councils of Florence and Trent, there is a superficial and misleading equation in regard to the books of Esdras which we are discussing, that accounts for what was really a mistake made by the latter councils.

In the Canon last quoted we have the phrase Hesdrae libri duo. In the Decree of the Council of Florence we have Esdra, Nehemia. In that of Trent we have Esdrae primus et secundus qui dicitur Nehemias.

The fact is that the phrase Hesdrae libri duo in the decree of the earlier Councils does not mean the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra and Nehemiah in the Septuagint and in the early Latin prae-Hieronymian translation of the Bible which followed the Septuagint, and was alone recognized as canonical in the Latin Church at the end of the fourth century, formed a single book, which in the early Greek MSS was entitled Ἔσδρας Β, and which in the early Latin version was entitled Esdras II.

It was Jerome who altered the nomenclature of these books as he altered many other things (and, as some of us think, not too wisely). It was he who, having accepted the Jewish Canon and tradition, also accepted the Jewish division of the book hitherto known to the Greeks as Ἔσδρας Β, which in the old Latin Bibles was called Esdras II, and gave the two sections of it the new titles of Esdras I and Esdras II, equivalent to our Ezra and Nehemiah; and from him the titles passed into the revised Vulgate, of which he was the author, and eventually became dominant everywhere, and was thus dominant when the Council of Florence sat. It was he who poured scorn on two other books of Ezra contained in the earlier Latin Bibles, and refused to have anything to do with them, or to translate them, and gave them an entirely inferior status by numbering them Esdras III and IV, names by which they have since been styled in the Vulgate; and it was his violent and depreciatory language about them which made many doubt their value and authority.

When the fathers at Florence discussed and decided upon their list of authorized and canonical books, finding, no doubt, that the African Councils had only recognized two books of Esdras, they jumped to the conclusion that these two books must be those called Esdras I and Esdras II in their Bibles, namely, Ezra and Nehemiah; which in fact they were not. Hence their mistake, a great but a natural mistake, which is perpetuated in the Roman Canon.

The two books of Esdras recognized by the African Councils, and by all the Fathers who escaped the influence of Jerome, were the books labelled Ἔσδρας Α and Ἔσδρας Β in the Greek Bibles, that is to say, the first book of Esdras, which was remitted to the Apocrypha by the Reformers, and the joint work Ezra-Nehemiah. This evidence will not be doubted by any one who will examine the early Greek Bibles, and the Canonical lists of the Fathers who were uninfluenced by Jerome.

It is completely recognized by Roman Catholic theologians of the first rank. Thus Calmet, who wrote a special treatise on Esdras A, says: 'When the Fathers and the Councils of the earlier centuries declared the two books of Esdras to be canonical, they meant, following the current Bibles that First Esdras and Nehemiah formed only one book, while they styled First Esdras the work which is called third in our Bibles' (Calmet Comm. iii 250 'Dissert, sur le III livre d'Esdras'). Father Loisy, the most distinguished scholar among the recent writers on the Canon in France, similarly says: 'The two books of Esdras contained in them (i.e. in early copies of the Latin Bible) are not Esdras and Nehemiah; but as in the Greek Bible, the first book of Esdras is that we now call the third, which has been ejected from the Canon; the second comprised Esdras and Nehemiah' (Histoire du Canon 92).

It is quite clear, therefore, that the Council of Florence, afterwards followed by that of Trent, gave a decision about the Canon which is inconsistent and contrary to the decisions of the early Councils and the early Fathers of the Latin Church on the same subject, and thus broke the continuity of that Church's teaching on a most important point, namely the contents of the book which it makes the ultimate rule of faith. Thus, again, one book, namely the Esdras A of the Greek Uncials, recognized as canonical by all the early Church, was entirely evicted from Sixtus V's Bible, and remitted to the ignominious position of a suspense account in that of Clement VIII, and is so treated in all authorized Roman Catholic Bibles.

The omission of Esdras A from the modern Roman Canon of the Bible does not stand quite alone. In the same suspense account to which it is now remitted in the Vulgate we also find the Prayer of Manasses. For this treatment there is ample justification if we are to follow the decrees of Latin Councils; but the reason for it given by Clement VIII is incorrect.

The Prayer of Manasses is a canticle which, according to the preface to Clement VIII's Bible, does not occur in the Hebrew Bibles, nor yet in the Greek Bibles. This is not strictly accurate, as Walton long ago shewed by printing a copy of it from a Greek MS. The statement in the preface to Clement VIII's Bible is not therefore correct. The Prayer occurs in fact in the third volume of the Codex Alexandrinus as an appendix to the Psalter, and with the Psalms, as Dr Swete says, it was transferred to that MS from a liturgical Psalter (The Old Testament in Greek II viii). It also occurs in the famous purple psalter at Zurich known as T (Turicense) which is of the seventh century and of western origin. It also occurs in the Ethiopic version of the Psalms edited by J. Ludolf. And it is quoted at length in the Apostolical Constitutions; so it has very respectable age and authority.

There is, however, no direct evidence of its having received any conciliar authority, as there is none that it occurred in early Bible texts or in early Canonical lists, and its exclusion from the Canon by the Sixtine and Clementine editors of the Bible is therefore quite defensible, if we are to follow the decisions of Councils as decisive.

There still remains a third book, namely that known as Esdras IV in the Vulgate, which was also excluded from the Bible of Sixtus and remitted to an appendix in that of Clement. This work does not occur in any Greek Bible. It occurs in Latin, Syriac, Ethiopic, an Armenian and two Arabic translations; it is found in several important Vulgate MSS, and is quoted in the Apostolical Constitutions; but inasmuch as it is excluded from the early lists of canonical books, and especially from those with conciliar authority, it has with plausibility been remitted to the same appendix as the Prayer of Manasseh in the modern authorized Latin Bibles.

Both these books stand on entirely different ground therefore from what we have described as Esdras A, whose undoubted and rightful presence in the Western Canon before the unfortunate mistake made by the Council of Florence cannot be gainsaid. Jerome, no doubt, coupled it with the apocalyptic book Esdras IV, with which it has nothing in common either in contents or authority, and poured scorn on them both. His action in this matter is an excellent instance of his hasty judgement in biblical matters, and of the prejudice that can be created and sustained against a genuine work by the tempestuous language of a masterful scholar.

It seems to me plain that it was a misfortune as well as a mistake which excluded Esdras A from the modern Roman Canon, and that its reinstatement there would be a distinct gain to the cause of truth, and it would sustain the consistency of the Latin Church in its treatment of its Bible.

Perhaps I may be permitted in another paper to discuss the Anglican Canon as affected by similar issues.

Henry H. Howorth

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Jerome Regarding the Septuagint

I recently happened to stumble across this interesting translation of Jerome's Prologue to Chronicles (link). Jerome makes a number of interesting comments about the Septuagint:

1) Jerome begins by noting that the Septuagint is not a pure translation:
If the version of the Seventy translators is pure and has remained as it was rendered by them into Greek ... Now, in fact, when different versions are held by a variety of regions, and this genuine and ancient translation is corrupted and violated, you have considered our opinion, either to judge which of the many is the true one, or to put together new work with old work, and shutting off to the Jews, as it is said, "a horn to pierce the eyes."
- Jerome, Prologue to Chronicles

2) Jerome continues by noting that in his day it was famous that there were three regional varieties of the Septuagint:
The region of Alexandria and Egypt praises in their Seventy the authority of Hesychius; the region from Constantinople to Antioch approves the version of Lucian the Martyr; in the middle, between these provinces, the people of Palestine read the books which, having been labored over by Origen, Eusebius and Pamphilius published.
- Jerome, Prologue to Chronicles

3) Jerome argues that although Jesus knew the Septuagint translation, he used the Hebrew, arguing from various passages:
I have recently written a book, "On the best kind of translating," showing these things in the Gospel, and others similar to these, to be found in the books of the Hebrews: "Out of Egypt I called my son," and "For he will be called a Nazarene," and "They will look on him whom they have pierced," and that of the Apostle, "Things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, and had not arisen in the heart of man, which God has prepared for those loving Him." The Apostles and Evangelists were certainly acquainted with (the version of) the Seventy interpreters, but from where (were) they (supposed) to say these things which are not in the Seventy?
- Jerome, Prologue to Chronicles

4) Jerome notes that the church of his day did not accept the apocrypha, but only the Hebrew books, as can be seen from the middle of Jerome's punchline for his argument about the Septuagint:
Certainly, whatever is witnessed by the Savior to be written, is written. Where is it written? The Seventy don't have it; the Church ignores the apocrypha; thus the turning back to the Hebrew (books), from which the Lord spoke and and the disciples took forth texts.
- Jerome, Prologue to Chronicles

5) In the conclusion of the prologue, Jerome explains the fact that he was coming under a lot of fire for his new translation, since popular opinion was fond of (their own version of) the Septuagint:
In peace I will say these things of the ancients, and I respond only to my detractors, who bite me with dogs' teeth, slandering me in public, speaking at corners, the same (being) both accusers and defenders, when approving for others what they reprove me for, as though virtue and error were not in conflict, but change with the author. I have recalled another edition of the Seventy translators corrected from the Greek to have been distributed by us, and me not to need to be considered their enemy, which things I always explain in the gatherings of the brothers.
- Jerome, Prologue to Chronicles

Thanks very much to Kevin P. Edgecomb who provided this translation and released it into the public domain.

-TurretinFan

UPDATE:

One Roman Catholic reader (I'm not sure whether he'd want attribution or not, so I've not given it to him for now. If he wants it, he knows how to let me know) pointed me to the fact that one can find translations of many of the prologues to the Vulgate books (link). Some have suggested that the later prologues show Jerome softening in his opposition to the apocrypha, though you will note:
Also included is the book of the model of virtue Jesus son of Sirach, and another falsely ascribed work which is titled Wisdom of Solomon. The former of these I have also found in Hebrew, titled not Ecclesiasticus as among the Latins, but Parables, to which were joined Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs, as though it made of equal worth the likeness not only of the number of the books of Solomon, but also the kind of subjects. The second was never among the Hebrews, the very style of which 18is redolent of Greek speech. And several of the ancient scribes affirm this one is of Philo Judaeus. Therefore, just as the Church also reads the books of Judith, Tobias, and the Maccabees, but does not receive them among the canonical Scriptures, so also one may read these two scrolls for the strengthening of the people, (but) not for confirming the authority of ecclesiastical dogmas.
- Jerome, Prologue to the books of Solomon

Similarly:
This prologue to the Scriptures may be appropriate as a helmeted introduction to all the books which we turn from Hebrew into Latin, so we may be able to know whatever is outside of these is to be set apart among the apocrypha. Therefore, Wisdom, which is commonly ascribed to Solomon, and the book of Jesus son of Sirach, and Judith and Tobias, and The Shepherd are not in the canon. I have found the First Book of the Maccabees is Hebrew, the Second is Greek, which may also be proven by their styles.
- Jerome, Prologue to the Book of Kings

Yet it was demanded of Jerome that he translate the Apocrypha, to which command he grudgingly complied:
I do not cease to wonder at the constancy of your demanding. For you demand that I bring a book written in the Chaldean language into Latin writing, indeed the book of Tobias, which the Hebrews exclude from the catalogue of Divine Scriptures, being mindful of those things which they have titled Hagiographa. I have done enough for your desire, yet not by my study. For the studies of the Hebrews rebuke us and find fault with us, to translate this for the ears of Latins contrary to their canon. But it is better to be judging the opinion of the Pharisees to displease and to be subject to the commands of bishops. I have persisted as I have been able, and because the language of the Chaldeans is close to Hebrew speech, finding a speaker very skilled in both languages, I took to the work of one day, and whatever he expressed to me in Hebrew words, this, with a summoned scribe, I have set forth in Latin words.
- Jerome, Prologue to Tobias

Likewise:
Among the Hebrews the Book of Judith is found among the Hagiographa, the authority of which toward confirming those which have come into contention is judged less appropriate. Yet having been written in Chaldean words, it is counted among the histories. But because this book is found by the Nicene Council to have been counted among the number of the Sacred Scriptures, I have acquiesced to your request, indeed a demand, and works having been set aside from which I was forcibly curtailed, I have given to this (book) one short night’s work translating more sense from sense than word from word. I have removed the extremely faulty variety of the many books; only those which I was able to find in the Chaldean words with understanding intact did I express in Latin ones.
- Jerome, Prologue to Judith (It's not clear to me whether Jerome was being confused or sarcastic. Nicaea did not decide the canon, and had they done so, one would hardly expect the later councils of Hippo and Carthage to omit reference to this fact.)