The Text of the Diatessaron.

[Section I]

[1] 1    John i. 1.In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God is the [2,3] Word.  2    John i. 2.This was in the beginning with God.  3    John i. 3.Everything was by his hand, and [4] without him not even one existing thing was made.  4    John i. 4.In him was life, and the life [5] is the light of men.  5    John i. 5.And the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness apprehended it not.

[6] 6    On the margin of the Vatican ms., fol. 1a, are written by a later hand these words, The first of his Gospel.  The first of the Evangel (is) the Gospel of Luke; followed by the text of the first four verses of Luke, and that in turn by the words, Four complete Gospels, Matthew, and Mark, and Luke, and John.  See Ciasca’s Essay, cited above (Introduction, 5), p. 468.7    Luke i. 5.There was in the days of Herod the king a priest whose name was Zacharias, of the family of Abijah; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name [7] was Elizabeth.  8    Luke i. 6.And they were both righteous before God, walking in all his commands, [8] and in the uprightness of God without reproach.  9    Luke i. 7.And they had no son, for [9] Elizabeth was barren, and they had both advanced in age.  10    Luke i. 8.And while he discharged [10] [Arabic, p. 2] the duties of priest in the order of his service before God, 11    Luke i. 9.according to the custom of the priesthood it was his turn to burn incense; so he entered the [11] temple of the Lord.  12    Luke i. 10.And the whole gathering of the people were praying without at the [12] time of the incense.  13    Luke i. 11.And there appeared unto Zacharias the angel of the Lord, standing [13] at the right of the altar of incense; 14    Luke i. 12.and Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, [14] and fear fell upon him.  15    Luke i. 13.But the angel said unto him, Be not agitated,16    This word is constantly recurring in the sense of fear. Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt [15] call his name John; 17    Luke i. 14.and thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice [16] at his birth.  18    Luke i. 15.And he shall be great before the Lord, and shall not drink wine nor strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit19    Everywhere, except in the introductory notes, the Arabic is the Spirit of Holiness, as in the Arabic versions. while he is in his mother’s [17] womb.  20    Luke i. 16.And he shall turn back many of the children of Israel to the Lord their [18] God.  21    Luke i. 17.And he shall go before him in the spirit, and in the power of Elijah the prophet, to turn back the heart of the fathers to the sons, and those that obey not to the knowledge22    See § 28, 17, note. of the righteous; and to prepare for the Lord a perfect people.  [19] 23    Luke i. 18.And Zacharias said unto the angel, How shall I know this, since I am an old man [20] and my wife is advanced in years?  24    Luke i. 19.And the angel answered and said unto him, I am Gabriel, that standeth before God; and I was sent to speak unto thee, and give [21] thee tidings of this.  25    Luke i. 20.Henceforth thou shalt be speechless, and shalt not be able to speak until the day in which this shall come to pass, because thou didst not trust [22] this my word, which shall be accomplished in its time.  26    Luke i. 21.And the people were standing [Arabic, p. 3] awaiting Zacharias, and they were perplexed at his delaying in the temple.  [23]27    Luke i. 22.And when Zacharias went out, he was not able to speak unto them:  so they knew that he had seen in the temple a vision; and he made signs unto them, and [24] continued dumb.  28    Luke i. 23.And when the days of his service were completed, he departed to his dwelling.

[25] 29    Luke i. 24.And after those days Elizabeth his wife conceived; and she hid herself five [26] months, and said, 30    Luke i. 25.This hath the Lord done unto me in the days when he looked upon me, to remove my reproach from among men.

[27] 31    Luke i. 26.And32    The Vat. ms. has over this verse, The second section, from the Gospel of Luke, i.e., as divided in the Syriac and Arabic versions. in the sixth month Gabriel the angel was sent from God to Galilee33    The Borgian ms. omits to Galilee. to a [28] city called Nazareth, 34    Luke i. 27.to a virgin given in marriage to a man named Joseph, of the [29] house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.  35    Luke i. 28.And the angel entered unto her and said unto her, Peace be unto thee, thou who art filled with grace.  Our Lord [30] is with thee, thou blessed amongst women.  36    Luke i. 29.And she, when she beheld, was agitated [31] at his word, and pondered what this salutation could be.  37    Luke i. 30.And the angel said unto [32] her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God.  38    Luke i. 31.Thou shalt now conceive, [33] and bear a son, and call his name Jesus.  39    Luke i. 32.This shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give him the throne of [34] David his father:  and he shall rule over the house of Jacob for ever; 40    Luke i. 33.and to his [35] kingdom there shall be no end.  41    Luke i. 34.Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be to [36] me when no man hath known me?  42    Luke i. 35.The angel answered and said unto her, The [Arabic, p. 4] Holy Spirit will come, and the power of the Most High shall rest upon thee, and therefore shall he that is born of thee be pure, and shall be called the Son [37] of God.  43    Luke i. 36.And lo, Elizabeth thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old [38] age; and this is the sixth month with her, her that is called barren.  44    Luke i. 37.For nothing is [39] difficult for God.  45    Luke i. 38.Mary said, Lo, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be unto me according unto thy word.  And the angel departed from her.

[40] 46    Luke i. 39.And then Mary arose in those days and went in haste into the hill country,47    Vat. ms., like that described by Gildemeister (see Introduction, 20) has into Galilee (cf. § 8, 10, note). to a48    Lit. the, a form due to Syriac influence (cf. § ii. 12, and passim). [41] city of Judah; 49    Luke i. 40.and entered into the house of Zacharias, and asked for the health of [42] Elizabeth.  50    Luke i. 41.And when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in [43] her womb.  51    Luke i. 42.And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit; and cried with a loud voice and said unto Mary, Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the [44] fruit that is in thy womb.  52    Luke i. 43.Whence have I this privilege, that the mother of my [45] Lord should come unto me?  53    Luke i. 44.When the sound of thy salutation reached my ears, [46] with great joy rejoiced the babe in my womb.  54    Luke i. 45.And blessed is she who believed [47] that what was spoken to her from the Lord would be fulfilled.  55    Luke i. 46.And Mary said,

My soul doth magnify the Lord,

[48] 56    Luke i. 47.And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour,

[49] 57    Luke i. 48.Who hath looked upon the low estate of his handmaiden:

Lo, henceforth, all generations58    The Arabic word ordinarily means tribe or nation, but in this work it regularly represents the Syriac word used in the N.T. for generation. shall pronounce blessing on me.

[50] 59    Luke i. 49.For60    The Arabic would naturally be rendered, the blessing on me, That; but a number of passages in this work seem to justify the rendering given in the text (cf., e.g., § 46, 54, and especially § 15, 40). he hath done great things for me, who is mighty,

And holy is his name.

[51] 61    Luke i. 50.And his mercy embraceth them who fear him,

Throughout the ages and the times.

[52] [Arabic, p. 5] 62    Luke i. 51.He wrought the victory with his arm,

And scattered them that prided themselves in their opinions.

[53] 63    Luke i. 52.He overthrew them that acted haughtily from their thrones,

And raised the lowly.

[54] 64    Luke i. 53.He satisfied with good things the hungry,

And left the rich without anything.

[55] 65    Luke i. 54.He helped Israel his servant,

And remembered his mercy

[56] 66    Luke i. 55.(According as he spake with our fathers)

Unto Abraham and unto his seed for ever.

[57] 67    Luke i. 56.And Mary abode with Elizabeth about three months, and returned unto her house.

[58, 59] 68    Luke i. 57.And Elizabeth’s time of delivery was come; and she brought forth a son.  69    Luke i. 58.And her neighbours and kinsfolk heard that God had multiplied his mercy towards her; [60] and they rejoiced with her.  70    Luke i. 59.And when71    The text is indistinct in the Vat. ms.  The reading seems to be conflate, the doublets being when it was, which is the reading of Ibn-at-Tayyib’s Commentary, and on. it was the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and called him Zacharias, calling him by the name of his father.  [61] 72    Luke i. 60.And his mother answered and said unto them, Not so; but he shall be called John.  [62] 73    Luke i. 61.And they said unto her, There is no man of thy kindred that is called by this name.  [63, 64] 74    Luke i. 62.And they made signs to his father, saying, How dost thou wish to name him?  75    Luke i. 63.And he asked for a tablet, and wrote and said, His name is John.  And every one wondered.  [65] 76    Luke i. 64.And immediately his mouth was opened, and his tongue, and he spake and [66] praised God.  77    Luke i. 65.And fear fell on all their neighbours:  and this was spoken of78    Lit. described (cf. § ii. 46). in all [67] the mountains of Judah.  79    Luke i. 66.And all who heard pondered in their hearts and said, What shall this child be?  And the hand of the Lord was with him.

[68] 80    Luke i. 67.And Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied and said,

[69] 81    Luke i. 68.Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel,

Who hath cared for his people, and wrought for it salvation;

[70] 82    Luke i. 69.And hath raised for us the horn of salvation

[Arabic, p. 6] In the house of David his servant

[71] 83    Luke i. 70.(As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets from eternity),

[72] 84    Luke i. 71.That he might save us from our enemies,

And from the hand of all them that hate us.

[73] 85    Luke i. 72.And he hath performed his mercy towards our fathers,

And remembered his holy covenants,

[74] 86    Luke i. 73.And the oath which he sware unto Abraham our father,

[75] 87    Luke i. 74.That he would give us deliverance from the hand of our enemies,

And without fear we shall88    Or, should. serve before him

[76] 89    Luke i. 75.All our days with equity and righteousness.

[77] 90    Luke i. 76.And as for thee, O child, prophet of the Most High shalt thou be called.

Thou shalt go forth before the face of the Lord to prepare his way,

[78] 91    Luke i. 77.To give the knowledge of salvation92    Here and elsewhere the Arabic translator uses life and live and give life, as in Syriac, for salvation, etc. unto his people,

For the forgiveness of their sins,

[79] 93    Luke i. 78.Through the mercy of94    Borg. ms. has and for of. the compassion of our God,

With which he careth for95    The word used in the Peshitta means visit, either in the sense of caring for or in that of frequenting.  See § 24, 29. us, to appear96    So Borg. ms.  The Vat. ms. is very indistinct.  Lagarde (see Introduction, 13, note), quoting Guidi, prints Whereby there visiteth us the manifestation from on high.  The difference in Arabic is in a single stroke. from on high

[80] 97    Luke i. 79.To give light to them that sit in darkness and under the shadow of death,

And to set straight our feet in the way of peace.

[81] 98    Luke i. 80.And the child grew and became strong in the spirit, and abode in the desert until the time of his appearing unto the children of Israel.

Caput I.

Ioan. 1, 1. In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et ipsum Verbum Deus est.

2. Hoc erat in principio apud Deum.

3. Omnia per ipsum facta sunt, et sine ipso neque unum existens factum est.

4. In ipso vita erat, et vita est lux hominum :

5. et lux in tenebris lucet, et tenebrae eam non comprehenderunt.

Luc. I, 5. Fuit in diebus Herodis regis sacerdos quidam nomine Zacharias, de familia Abia; et uxor illius de filiabus Aaron, cuius nomen Elisabeth.

6. Erant autem iusti ambo coram Deo, incedentes in omnibus mandatis, et iustificationibus Dei sine reprehensione;

7. et non erat illis filius, eo quod esset Elisabeth sterilis, et ambo provecta essent aetate.

8. Cum autem ipse sacerdotio fungeretur in ordine ministerii sui ante Deum,

9. secundum consuetudinem sacerdotii, contigit ei, ut incensum adoleret: et ingressus est in templum Domini,

10. et omnis multitudo populi erat orans foris hora incensi.

11. Apparuit autem Zachariae Angelus Domini, stans a dextris altaris incensi.

12. Cum vidisset eum Zacharias, turbatus est, et timor irruit super eum.

13. Ait autem ad illum Angelus: Ne timeas Zacharia, quoniam exaudita est deprecatio tua, et uxor tua Elisabeth pariet tibi filium, et vocabis nomen eius Ioannem:

14. et erit gaudium tibi et exultatio, et multi in nativitate eius gaudebunt:

15. erit enim magnus coram Domino, et vinum et siceram non bibet, et Spiritu Sancto replebitur adhuc ipse in utero matris suae:

16. et multos filiorum Israel convertet ad Dominum Deum ipsorum:

17. et ipse incedet ante illum in spiritu et virtute Eliae prophetae, ut convertat cor patrum in filios, et inobedientes ad scientiam iustorum, parare Domino plebem perfectam.

18. Dixit autem Zacharias ad Angelum: Unde hoc sciam? ego enim sum senex, et uxor mea aetate provecta.

19. Respondit Angelus, et dixit ei: Ego sum Gabriel adstans ante Deum, et missus sum loqui ad te, et hoc tibi evangelizare.

20. Ex nunc eris tacens, et non poteris loqui usque in diem, quo hoc fiat, eo quod non credidisti huic verbo meo, quod implebitur in tempore suo.

21. Populus vero stans, expectabat Zachariam; et mirabatur, quod tardaret ipse in templo.

22. Egressus autem Zacharias non poterat loqui ad illos, et cognoverunt, quod visionem vidisset in templo. Et ipse innuebat illis, et permansit mutus.

23. Et eunt impleti essent dies ministerii eius, abiit in domum suam.

24. Post hos autem dies concepit Elisabeth uxor eius, et occultabat se mensibus quinque, dicens:

25. Hoc fecit in me Dominus in diebus, quibus ad me respexit, ut auferret opprobrium meum inter homines.

26. In mense autem sexto, missus est Angelus Gabriel a Deo in Galilaeam, in civitatem, cui nomen Nazareth,

27. ad virginem desponsatam viro, cui nomen Ioseph, de domo David; et nomen virginis Maria.

28. Et ingressus Angelus ad eam, dixit ei: Ave, gratia plena: Dominus noster tecum, o benedicta in mulieribus.

29. Quae cum aspexisset, turbata est in sermone cius, et cogitabat, quid esset ista salutatio.

30. Et ait Angelus ei: Ne timeas, Maria, invenisti enim gratiam apud Deum:

31. ecce, concipies, et paries lilium, et vocabis nomen cius IESUM.

32. Hic erit magnus, et Filius Altissimi vocabitur; et dabit illi Dominus Deus sedem David patris eius,

33. et regnabit super domum Iacob in aeternum: et regni cius non erit finis.

34. Dixit Maria ad Angelum: quomodo mihi fiet istud, cum vir mc non cognoverit?

35. Respondit Angelus, et dixit ei: Spiritus Sanctus veniet, et virtus Altissimi descendet super te. Ideoque quod nascetur ex te erit Sanctum, et vocabitur Filius Dei.

36. Et ecce, Elisabeth, cognata tua, et ipsa concepit Filium in senectute sua: et hic mensis sextus est illi, quae vocatur sterilis,

37. quia nihil difficile erit Deo.

38. Dixit Maria: Ecce, ego ancilla Domini, fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. Et discessit ab illa Angelus.

39. Tunc surrexit Maria in diebus illis, et abiit in montana cum festinatione, in civitatem Iuda.

40. Et intravit in domum Zachariae, et salutavit Elisabeth.

41. Ut autem audivit salutationem Mariae Elisabeth, exultavit infans in utero eius; et repleta est Spiritu Sancto Elisabeth,

42. et exclamavit voce magna, et dixit Mariae: Benedicta tu inter mulieres, et benedictus fructus, qui est in utero tuo.

43. Unde hoc mihi, ut veniat mater Domini mei ad me?

44. Ut pervenit vox salutationis tuae ad aures meas, exultavit in gaudio magno infans in utero meo.

45. Et beata, quae credidisti, quoniam perficietur illud, quod dictum est a Domino.

46. Et ait Maria: Magnificat anima mea Dominum,

47. et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari ineo,

48. qui respexit humilitatem ancillae suae: ecce, ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes:

49. quia fecit mihi magna, qui potens est, et sanctum nomen eius:

50. et misericordia eius a progenie in progenies complectitur timentes cum.

51. Retulit victoriam in brachio suo, et dispersit mente superbos.

52. Deposuit potentes de sede, et exaltavit humiles.

53. Esurientes saturavit bonis, et divites dimisit inanes.

54. Suscepit Israel puerum suum, et recordatus est misericordiae suae,

55. sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, ad Abraham, et ad semen cius in saecula.

56. Mansit autem Maria apud Elisabeth quasi mensibus tribus, et reversa est in domum suam.

57. Elisabeth autem, advenit ei tempus pariendi, et peperit filium.

58. Et audierunt vicini et cognati eius, quia multiplicavit Deus misericordiam suant cum illa, et congratulabantur ei.

59. Die autem octavo venerunt circumcidere puerum, et vocabant cum nomine patris sui Zachariam.

60. Respondit autem mater cius, et dixit illis: Non ita, sed vocabitur loannes.

61. Et dixerunt ad illam: Nemo est in cognatione tua, qui vocetur hoc nomine.

62. Et innuerunt patri eius: Quomodo vis vocare eum.

63. Et postulans pugillarem scripsit dicens: Ioannes est nomen eius. Et mirati sunt universi.

64. Apertum est autem illico os eius et lingua eius, et locutus est ac laudavit Deum.

65. Et irruit timor super omnes vicinos eorum; et super omnia montana Iudaeae divulgatum est hoc;

66. et omnes qui audiebant, cogitabant in corde suo, dicentes: quid puer iste erit ? Etenim manus Domini erat cum illo.

67. Et Zacharias pater eius repletus est Spiritu Sancto, et prophetavit, dicens*.

68. Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel, qui visitavit, et fecit redemptionem plebis suae;

69. et erexit cornu salutis nobis in domo David pueri sui,

70. sicut locutus est a saeculo per os sanctorum Prophetarum eius,

71. ut nos eriperet ex inimicis nostris, et de manu omnium, qui oderunt nos.

72. Fecitque misericordiam cum patribus nostris, recordatus testamenti sui sancti,

73. et iusiurandi, quod iuravit ad Abraham patrem nostrum, daturum nobis

74. salutem e manu inimicorum nostrorum, ut sine timore serviamus coram ipso,

75. in virtute et iustitia omnibus diebus nostris.

76. Et tu, puer, propheta Altissimi vocaberis, praeibis ante faciem Domini parare viam eius,

77. ad dandam scientiam salutis plebi eius, in remissionem peccatorum eorum,

78. per viscera misericordiae Dei nostri, in quibus visitavit nos, oriens ex alto ’.

79. illuminare his, qui in tenebris et sub umbra mortis sedent: et ad dirigendos pedes nostros in viam pacis.

80. Puer autem crescebat, et confortabatur spiritu, et erat commorans in deserto usque in diem ostensionis suae ad filios Israel.