Section XVI.

[1] 1068    Matt. xii. 38.Then answered certain of the scribes and Pharisees, that they might tempt him, [2] and said, Teacher, we desire to see a sign from thee.  1069    Matt. xii. 39.He answered and said, This evil and adulterous generation1070    See § 1, 49, note. seeketh a sign; and it shall not be given a sign, [3] except the sign of Jonah the prophet.  1071    Luke xi. 30.And as Jonah was a sign to the inhabitants [4] of Nineveh, so shall the Son of man also be to this generation.  1072    Matt. xii. 40.And as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish three days and three nights, so shall the Son of man [5] be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.  1073    Luke xi. 31.The queen of the south shall rise in the judgement with the people of this generation, and condemn1074    See note to § 10, 13. them:  for she came from the ends of the earth that she might hear the wisdom of Solomon; [6] [Arabic, p. 62] and behold, here is a better than Solomon.  1075    Matt. xii. 41.The men of Nineveh shall stand in the judgement with this generation, and condemn it:  for they repented at [7] the preaching of Jonah; and behold, here is a greater than Jonah.  1076    Luke xi. 24.The unclean spirit, when he goeth out of the man, departeth, and goeth about through places wherein are no waters, that he may find rest for himself; and when he findeth it not, he [8] saith, I will return to my house whence I came out.  1077    Luke xi. 25.And if he come and find it [9] adorned and set in order, 1078    Luke xi. 26.then he goeth, and associateth with himself seven other spirits worse than himself; and they enter and dwell in it:  and the end of that man [10] shall be worse than his beginning.  1079    Matt. xii. 45b.Thus shall it be unto this evil generation.

[11] 1080    Luke xi. 27.And while he was saying that, a woman from the multitude lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the breasts that nursed [12] thee.  1081    Luke xi. 28.But he said unto her, Blessed is he that heareth the word of God, and keepeth it.

[13] 1082    Matt. xii. 46a; Luke viii. 19a.And while he was speaking unto the multitude, there came unto him his mother [14] and his brethren, and sought to speak with him; 1083    Matt. xii. 46c; Luke viii. 19b.and they were not able, because of [15] the multitude; and they stood without and sent, calling him unto them.  1084    Mark iii. 31; Matt. xii. 47.A man said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren are standing without, and seek to [16] speak with thee.  1085    Matt. xii. 48.But he answered unto him that spake unto him, Who is my [17] mother? and who are my brethren?  1086    Matt. xxii. 49.And he beckoned with his hand, stretching it out towards his disciples, and said, Behold, my mother! and behold, my brethren!  [18] 1087    Matt. xii. 50.And every man that shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven is my brother, and my sister, and my mother.

[19] 1088    Luke viii. 1.And after that, Jesus was going about in the cities and in the villages, and proclaiming [Arabic, p. 63] and preaching the kingdom of God, and his1089    The Arabic printed text gives no sense.  A simple change in the diacritical points of one letter gives the reading of the Syriac versions, which is adopted here. twelve with him, [20] 1090    Luke viii. 2.and the women which had been healed of diseases and of evil spirits, Mary [21] that was called Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven devils, 1091    Luke viii. 3.and Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who were ministering to them of their substance.

[22] 1092    Matt. xiii. 1.And after that, Jesus went out of the house, and sat on the sea shore.  1093    Matt. xiii. 2.And there [23] gathered unto him great multitudes.  And when the press of the people was great upon him, he went up and sat in the boat; and all the multitude was standing on the [24] shore of the sea.  1094    Matt. xiii. 3.And he spake to them much in parables, and said, The sower [25] went forth to sow:  and when he sowed, 1095    Matt. xiii. 4a; Luke viii. 5b.some fell on the beaten highway; and it was [26] trodden upon, and the birds ate it.  1096    Matt. xiii. 5.And other fell on the rocks:  and some, where there was not much earth; and straightway it sprang up, because it had no depth in [27] the earth:  1097    Matt. xiii. 6.and when the sun rose, it withered; and because it had no root, it dried [28] up.  1098    Luke viii. 7; Mark iv. 7b.And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it; [29] and it yielded no fruit.  1099    Luke viii. 8a; Mark iv. 8b.And other fell into excellent and good1100    cf. Peshitta (against Cur. and Sin.). ground; and it came up, and grew, and brought forth fruit, some thirty, and some sixty, and some [30] a hundred.  1101    Luke viii. 8c.And when he said that, he cried, He that hath ears that hear, let him [31] hear.  1102    Mark iv. 10; with additions from Matt. xiii. 10, and Luke viii. 9.And when they were alone, his disciples came, and asked him, and said unto [32] him, What is this parable? and why spakest thou unto them in parables?  1103    Mark iv. 11; Matt. xiii. 11.He [Arabic, p. 64] answered and said unto them, Unto you is given the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God; but it is not given unto them that are [33] without.  1104    Matt. xiii. 12.He that hath shall be given unto, and there shall be added; and he that [34] hath not, that which he hath shall be taken from him also.  1105    Matt. xiii. 13.For this cause therefore I speak unto them in parables; because they see, and see not; and hear, and hear [35] not, nor understand.  1106    Matt. xiii. 14.And in them is being fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, who said,

Hearing they shall hear, and shall not understand;

And seeing they shall see, and shall not perceive:

[36] 1107    Matt. xiii. 15.The heart of this people is waxed gross,

And their hearing with their ears is become heavy,

And they have closed their eyes;

Lest they should see with their eyes,

And hear with their ears,

And understand with their hearts,

And should return,

And I should heal them.

[37, 38] 1108    Matt. xiii. 16.But ye, blessed are your eyes, which see; and your ears, which hear.  1109    Luke x. 23b.Blessed [39] are the eyes which see what ye see.  1110    Matt. xiii. 17.Verily I say unto you, Many of the prophets and the righteous longed to see what ye see, and saw not; and to hear what ye [40] hear, and heard not.  1111    Mark iv. 13b.When ye know not this parable, how shall ye know all parables?  [41, 42] 1112    Matt. xiii. 18.Hear ye the parable of the sower.  1113    Mark iv. 14.The sower which sowed, sowed the word [43] of God.  1114    Matt. xiii. 19.Every one who heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, the evil one cometh and snatcheth away the word that hath been sown in his [44] heart:  and this is that which was sown on the middle of the highway.  1115    Matt. xiii. 20.But that which was sown on the rocks is he that heareth the word, and straightway receiveth [45, 46] [Arabic, p. 65] it with joy; 1116    Matt. xiii. 21a.only, it hath no root in his soul, but his belief in it is for a time; 1117    Luke viii. 13b; Matt. xiii. 21c.and whenever there is distress or persecution because of a1118    See above, § 1, 40, note 2. word, he [47] stumbleth1119    Or, is seduced (cf. § 25, 17, note). quickly.  1120    Matt. xiii. 22a.And that which was sown among the thorns is he that heareth the word; 1121    Mark iv. 19b.and the care of this world, and the error of riches, and the rest of the [48] other lusts enter, and choke the word, and it becometh without fruit.  1122    Luke viii. 15.And that which was sown in good ground is he that heareth my word in a pure and good heart, and understandeth it, and holdeth to it, and bringeth forth fruit with patience, 1123    Matt. xiii. 23b.and produceth either a hundredfold or sixtyfold or thirty.

[49] 1124    Mark iv. 26.And he said, So is the kingdom of God, like a man who casteth seed into the [50] earth, and sleepeth and riseth by night and day, 1125    Mark iv. 27.and the seed groweth and cometh [51] up, whence1126    Or, while. he knoweth not.  1127    Mark iv. 28.And the earth bringeth it to the fruit; and first it [52] will be blade, and after it ear, and at last perfect wheat in the ear:  1128    Mark iv. 29.and whenever the fruit ripeneth,1129    Lit. fatteneth, as in Peshitta. he bringeth immediately the sickle, for the harvest hath come.