On Isaiah 9:6

1.                 You are wonder, Son of God, and inexplicable.

Grant me awe to be awed and to wonder at You![2]

2.                 Exalted tremblings and a soul full of faith

grant me, Lord, to speak about Your revelation.

3.                 Not habitually without discernment will I speak Your story,

but with awe I will raise my words[3] toward Your glory.

4.                 Let habit not perform empty words in me, Lord,

but may the soul’s love stir me to speak.

5.                 As I marvel, as I discern, as I confess,

as I love, as I fear to speak –

6.                 as I tremble at investigation as at a serpent

and consider the probing of the learned[4] as [I consider] a viper[5] –

7.                 as I reckon [to be] a lion[6] and coals of fire

every question that contains dispute about Your revelation –

8.                 as I flee from harm-bearing contention

and from pride that seeks to conquer with retorts,

9.                 may I not stir up dispute in Your story about You,

nor investigation about incomprehensible hidden things!

10.             You are wonder! Grant me, Lord, to wonder at You,

and from what I have I will cry to the world, “You are wonder!”

11.             And as Isaiah called You wonder in prophecy,

I with my impulses will wonder at You, marveling.

12.             Yes, truly, You are wonder and You are the Counselor –

You are God, You are the Mighty One, the Power of the Father,

13.             the Word begotten from the Essence[7] without beginning,

the Child equal with His Begetter without investigation,

14.             the Radiance[8] Who proceeded from the sphere of the Great Sun,

the Dawn Who came from the Eternally Burning Flame,[9]

15.             the Hidden Mystery Who came to be revealed and is inexplicable,

the Ancient of Days[10] Who became an infant and is uninvestigable.

16.             For all these [reasons] You are wonder, Son of God!

Blessed is whoever has called You wonder like Isaiah!

17.             The Virgin marvelously became Your mother without marriage –

borrowed milk in a body preserved in virginity!

18.             Your mother never saw Your Father, yet she carries You –

knees took You up as You sit upon the chariot.

19.             Arms embraced You, and You are wrapped in flame –

a mouth kissed You, and the fire on high fears You!

20.             Joseph is near, and the seraph hides from You with [his] wings –

Mary carries [You] as You are escorted by the cherubim.

21.             If the mind looks above with awe, You are there!

If faith approaches below, You are with it!

22.             You are above and below, on the two sides, and You are the Only-Begotten,

and see, the chariot and Mary’s womb are full of You!

23.             You came down like rain, and the fleece, the Virgin,[11] received You –

You dawned on the girl like a ray upon glass.

24.             When we sought You, You were God with Your Begetter,

and when we found You, You were man with Your mother.

25.             <2> All creation hangs upon Your signal,[12] for You are God,

and a daughter of the poor carries You, for You are man.

26.             The heavenly hosts tremble at You in Your Father’s place,

and the shepherds embrace You in Your mother’s lap.[13]

27.             Behold – the girl’s breast stretches out to You drops of milk,

and the ages look to You to fill their needs!

28.             Heaven is too small but the manger is wide enough for You to recline in it,[14]

and for these reasons, You are wonder, Son of God!

29.             For if Your path was not full of these marvels,

the glorious prophet would not have called You wonder.

30.             And because of Your marvel that is not subject to explanation,

Your name [is] wonder, for when one has known You, he will wonder at You.

31.             The Father on high, a mother in the depth, and You in the middle –

You are from the Father and from a mother, and You are Only-Begotten.

32.             Your begetting [was][15] beyond the created ages spiritually,

and Your nativity was also here from Mary bodily –

33.             yesterday Your Father from His Essence[16] without beginning,

and today Your mother in her virginity without explanation.

34.             Yesterday and today, You are Christ without dispute,[17]

for Your story is hidden but Your compassion is revealed to the whole earth.

35.             Ears have heard You, eyes have seen You, hands have touched You,

and the human mouth has eaten You, for You are also bread.[18]

36.             In bread You are laid on the altar for the hungry of the earth.

In wine You are mixed so the world may drink You and be consoled in You.

37.             You are living water, and see how Your font flows to the thirsty!

And [You are] sweet oil for the Bride[19] who has come away from obstacles.

38.             [You are] the staff of strength for the race bent over in idolatry,

for in its old age, the world took You up to be strengthened by You.

39.             You are the coin, borne by Death instead of the fish,

and from the depth of the dead Your great image pulled You up.[20]

40.             In You all creation has been bought from captivity,

for Your Father gave You to be the ransom[21] of the world.

41.             You had no form nor brightness in the world, our Lord,[22]

and because of this the scribes accused You and clamored for Your death.

42.             Your great power carries the world so it will not fall,

and the wood of crucifixion carried You – and You are wonder!

43.             They mingled You among the number of people in the census,[23]

and because You came from them, You brought them out from exile.

44.             And they laid You in the tomb to be one of the dead,

and since You are the Living One, You raised them up to Your Father’s land.

45.             The entire path of Your action is full of marvel,

and for these reasons, You are wonder, as You were named!

46.             For if these marvels were not on Your path,

the prophet would not have cried to the world that You are wonder.

47.             They brought You into the banquet-hall to recline with those feasting,[24]

and the waters saw You and became wine, for You are God.

48.             Like one humble and poor and unknown,

the Lord of all lands reclined at the feast.

49.             He was unknown, for He was not even the leader of the feasters,[25]

but those feasting had a different leader.

50.             And that leader who was there tasted the wine

and complained to the groom, and the story of our Lord was unspoken.

51.             Our Lord makes wine and gives drink without grapes,

but the other leader commands and is known at the banquet-hall.

52.             God came and reclined at the feast of the earthly ones,

and they did not even make Him the leader for those feasting.

53.             They made His footsteps descend[26] to recline there with the poor

and with the women, because of the marvel of His humility.

54.             <3> Mary His mother and Joseph’s children, like family,

mingled with Him at the table at that wedding-feast.

55.             And when the wine suddenly ran out for those at the groom’s house,

our Lord filled up their deficiencies like God.

56.             And He did not perform the wonder according to the place He was reclining in,

for He was not the leader, and He astonished the leaders with His wine.

57.             And whoever gazes at how much He descended to humility,

and how much He shrunk Himself there though He was great,

58.             and how much He hid the great power of His divinity –

up to the point that He did not even become the leader of those feasting,

59.             but [instead] reclined with the lowly and weak,

where there were no leaders nor commanders,

60.             and the good wine that He made for the company to drink from

they gave to the leader and did not regard Him, though He had made it –

61.             and because of these things, the Son of God is wonder! –

and whoever gazes at Him discerningly wonders at Him.

62.             Let the mind make its sight fly up spiritually on high

and see the Son there sitting on the chariot,[27]

63.             with fearful wings of flame surrounding Him

and wheels of fire greatly stirring to give glory,

64.             and His high throne resembling precious stones,

and brilliance, splendor, fearful lightning, and great shaking,

65.             and innumerable ministers of fire and spirit,

and countless ranks standing at His service,

66.             and crowds sprinkling “Holy” before Him in awe,[28]

and hosts surrounding Him as they tremble,

67.             and the hidden Father and the Son Who is equal in glory with Him –

the Lord, with Whose glory heaven and earth are full.[29]

68.             And when the mind has looked and seen these marvels above,

let it descend and see the Son in the world, how much He has lowered Himself –

69.             how much He has humbled Himself, how much been dishonored, how much scorned,

how much He has lowered Himself to smallness out of His love!

70.             For He became an infant and sucked milk, and a breast embraced Him,

and He walked on earth like a poor and lowly man,

71.             and He mingled Himself with humans, for He loved them,

and He walked with them on account of them in their streets.

72.             And after the mind has seen all these things,

let it cry out in amazement, “You are wonder, Son of God!”

73.             If it supposes that it can explain Him in its wisdom,

it would be emptied of wonder, and it would not marvel at Him.

74.             When there is amazement and faith inside the mind,

the soul is not able to[30] approach investigation –

75.             instead it marvels and entirely remains with wonder,

and there is no place for dispute or argument.

76.             But if amazement of the soul went far off, and investigation entered,

questions and stumbling-blocks and unfitting speeches would flow forth.

77.             If a learned man[31] looks at nature and begins to say,

“how can there be conception in a womb without marriage?

78.             And how can a virgin conceive in her virginity,

and there be milk in a body preserved in virginity?

79.             And how can a virgin give birth while her virginity remains?

For there is no way for a woman to give birth while a virgin,

80.             and nature does not give a hand for birth to occur

while the preserved seals of virginity remain” –

81.             and whoever says these words and does not wonder

does not consider our Lord wonder, as He was named.

82.             Instead he seeks naturally, cleverly,

and disputatiously to speak about our Savior,

83.             <4> and does not understand that the exalted path of the Son of God

overcomes[32] in its story both nature and explanation.

84.             The Virgin gave birth, and nature held back from the event,

and the story that was naturally spoken paused.[33]

85.             When someone sees in one body both milk and the seals of virginity,

what can he say except, “Behold the wonder!”?

86.             Nature paused, and the path is higher than explanation,

and the story remains with wonder when it is spoken.[34]

87.             And because of this He was called wonder in prophecy

by the prophet who apprehended all the mysteries of the Only-Begotten.[35]

88.             If the Son’s story is limited by your wisdom,

then the Son of God is not wonder to you, O wise one!

89.             For you would have known Him, explained Him, and apprehended Him,

and if this were so, He would not be wonder, for He would be explained.

90.             And Isaiah would not have found anything among the revelations,

[he] who put the name wonder on Christ without it befitting Him.[36]

91.             And then it would have been right to glorify the wise,

who disputed the Son until they made Him no wonder.

92.             And then prophecy would be blameworthy, for it would have called

the Son of God by a borrowed name that was not His.

93.             But you, O blameworthy one, O disputer searching out the Son –

the Son of God is wonder as He was named!

94.             For His word ran above the world spiritually

and the womb of virginity bore Him bodily.

95.             And He showed Himself to humanity in a poor manner

and scattered His treasures upon the needy spiritually.

96.             And He performed powerful deeds of might divinely

and also bore the sufferings of the Cross humanly.

97.             And once you sought Him, you would find Him as God,

and if again you sought Him, the same One is as man.

98.             He is entirely revealed, and His bodiliness is unassailable,

and He is entirely hidden, and His divinity is undeniable.

99.             He is hidden in His divinity that is more exalted than all

and He is revealed in His bodiliness that is more glorious than all.

100.         And because of this His name [is] wonder in prophecy,

so that the mind may look with wonder, without dispute!

101.         Isaiah himself – as the Spirit of revelations was blowing on him,

and his soul was filled with the great depth of prophecy,

102.         and the tabernacle[37] of mysteries was smoldering in him like a flame,

and the things to come illuminated his mind so he would see them,[38]

103.         and the parables made him a harp so he would explain them,[39]

and he was inebriated with mysteries as if with wine, so he might speak them,

104.         and he saw the Son, and how wonderful His path was,

and lest he be wearied with many [words] – he called Him wonder.

105.         Isaiah wondered at the path of the Son

and saw that it was more exalted than known things and the wise.

106.         And except with the awe of faith and with wonder,

whoever is worthy to walk on the path[40] does not walk on it.

107.         And as that seer of true things wondered,

he called the Son of God wonder in prophecy.

108.         And because of this, the learned man[41] stumbles when he walks

on the path of the Son, since he is empty of wonder.

109.         He constantly argues, examines, and errs;

he investigates and is proud, is full of wandering, and does not wonder.

110.         And because of this, [there are] all disputes and all divisions,

all investigations regarding the story of the Son of God.

111.         If everyone wondered like Isaiah,

and everyone was full of wonder and love and faith,

112.         <5> and everyone was far from haughtiness and from dispute,

these schisms would not have happened in the churches![42]

113.         But because love and faith vanished,

and the love of glory and falsehood came and stood,

114.         see how everyone is rushing to raise up his own with questions,

and from this the Son of God is not wonder!

115.         You are wonder, Son of God, as You were named,

and Your story is not spoken except in faith.

116.         How much have they spoken of You, Lord, and examined and disputed You!

Yet Your whole story is as it is, exalted over definition.[43]

117.         How many audacious people have explained Your story audaciously!

And they have acquired an evil name in the world, for they assailed You.

118.         How many of those possessing seats[44] have sought to examine You!

And You toppled them because they ventured toward Your hiddenness.

119.         How many of the learned has the story of Your simplicity tangled up!

For wisdom does not seek out Your tidings[45] as they expected.

120.         How many teachers, because they relied upon knowledge,

have become strangers from Your life-filled teaching!

121.         O see the fishermen carrying all Your treasure –

Your teaching is beloved with the simple and unlearned!

122.         The world has come to know You, that You are wonder, Son of God.

Blessed is the one who wonders at You. To You be glory!

܀܀܀܀܀

[1] A) This homily is based on Isaiah 9:6, which says, from the Syriac Peshitta translation: “For a Child has been born to us, and a Son has been given to us, and His authority was on His shoulder, and His name has been called ‘wonder’ and ‘counselor’: God the Eternally-Mighty, Prince of Peace.”

ܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܝܰܠܕܳܐ ܐܶܬ݂ܺܝܠܶܕ݂ ܠܰܢ: ܘܰܒܪܳܐ ܐܶܬ݂ܺܝܗܶܒ ܠܰܢ. ܘܰܗܘܳܐ ܫܽܘܠܛܳܢܶܗ ܥܰܠ ܟܰܬ݂ܦܶܗ. ܘܶܐܬ݂ܩܪܺܝ ܫܡܶܗ ܕܽܘܡܳܪܳܐ ܘܡܳܠܽܘܟ݂ܳܐ: ܐܰ‌ܠܳܗܳܐ ܓܰܢ̱ܒܳܪܳܐ ܕܥܳܠ̈ܡܶܐ: ܫܰܠܺܝܛܳܐ ܕܰܫܠܳܡܳܐ.

While modern translations render the title “Wonderful Counselor” (NRSVUE), the Peshitta of Isaiah 9:6 renders the two titles separately: “And His name has been called wonder and counselor.” Jacob places great emphasis on the title of Christ as “wonder” (ܕܘܡܪܐ), so I have translated for the purposes of this homily only words from the root ܕܡܪ with forms of the word “wonder” to indicate when he is specifically referencing Isaiah 9:6. B) The Syriac text of this homily, on which this translation is based, is taken from Homily 1 in: Roger-Youssef Akhrass and Imad Syryany, eds., 160 Unpublished Homilies of Jacob of Serugh: Volume I (Homilies 1-72) (Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate, 2017), 1:1–6. Section breaks are my own.

[2] Lit. “You are wonder, Son of God, Who are inexplicable. / Grant me awe, so that as I am awed, I may wonder at You.”

[3] “my words” or “my songs” (ܩ̈ܳܠܰܝ). “My songs” is perhaps the better translation if following the variant “ܐܶܙܡܰܪ” (“I will sing”) instead of “ܐܺܡܰܪ” (“I will speak”) found in three MSS (see footnote 2, p.5).

[4] “the learned”: ܣܳܦܪ̈ܶܐ.

[5] Lit. “as the probing of scribes is reckoned by me as a viper [is reckoned by me].”

[6] “lion” or “leprosy”: ܐܰܪܝܳܐ.

[7] “the Essence”: ܐܺܝܬܽܘܬܳܐ.

[8] Hebrews 1:3.

[9] A brief search in Simtho shows that the formulation “Eternally Burning Flame” (ܓܰܘܙܰܠܬܳܐ ܫܓܺܝܪܰܬ ܥܳܠܰܡ, or ܫܰܠܗܶܒܺܝܬܳܐ or ܢܽܘܪܳܐ) appears in at least four other places in Syriac literature, all Jacob’s homilies.

[10] A title of Christ from Daniel 7:9.

[11] Judges 6:36-40. One of the symbols of Mary in the Old Testament is the fleece of Gideon, which God made wet with dew while the rest of the ground was dry. The miraculously dewey fleece is a symbol of Mary’s conception of Christ in virginity.

[12] Syriac text: ܒܪܺܝܬܳܐ ܟܽܠܳܗ̇ ܬܰܠܝܳܐ ܒܪܶܡܙܳܟ ܕܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ.

This line is very similar to a line in one of Jacob’s Nativity homilies (“And understand through Him that all creation hangs on His signal”): ܘܶܐܣܬܰܟܰܠ ܒܶܗ ܕܟܽܠܳܗ̇ ܒܪܺܝܬܳܐ ܒܪܶܡܙܶܗ ܬܰܠܝܳܐ.

See “III. On the Nativity of Our Lord,” in Jacob of Sarug’s Homilies on the Nativity, by Thomas Kollamparampil, Texts from Christian Late Antiquity 23, Homilies of Mar Jacob of Sarug 18-20 (Gorgias Press, 2010), line 247.

[13] The base MS has “laps” (ܟܢܦ̈ܐ), though I am translating in the singular along with the variants.

[14] Syriac text: ܫܡܰܝܳܐ ܙܥܽܘܪܝܳܐ ܘܰܐܪܘܺܝܚ ܐܽܘܪܝܳܐ ܕܬܶܬܓܰܐܶܐ ܒܶܗ.

This line is similar to Jacob’s homily on the Nativity mentioned above (“heaven is too small and could not hold Him if He dwelt in it, but Mary’s lap is wide enough for Him to be escorted in”):

ܙܳܥܘܪܝܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܫܡܰܝܳܐ ܠܳܐ ܐܳܚܕܳܐ ܠܶܗ ܐܶܢ ܫܳܪܶܐ ܒܳܗ̇. ܘܰܪܘܺܝܚܳܐ ܠܶܗ ܟܶܢܦܳܗ̇ ܕܡܰܪܝܰܡ ܢܶܙܕܰܝܰܚ ܒܳܗ̇.

See: “III. On the Nativity of Our Lord,” lines 260–261.

[15] Depending on whether “ܝܰܠܕܳܟ” is taken as a suffixed verb or noun, this line can also be translated “Beyond the created ages He bore You spiritually.” ܠܗܰܠ ܡܶܢ ܥܳܠ̈ܡܶܐ ܥܒܺܝ̈ܕܶܐ ܝܰܠܕܳܟ ܪܽܘܚܳܢܳܐܺܝܬ܆ ܠܟܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܡܰܪܝܰܡ ܬܽܘܒ ܡܰܘܠܳܕܳܟ ܦܰܓܪܳܢܳܐܺܝܬ.

This latter reading has the support of variants: ܠܗܰܠ ܡܶܢ ܥܳܠ̈ܡܶܐ ܝܰܠܕܳܟ ܐܰܒܳܐ ܪܽܘܚܳܢܳܐܺܝܬ. I have chosen to translate it as a noun to keep the parallel structure with the second half of the couplet.

[16] “His Essence”: ܐܺܝܬܽܘܬܶܗ.

[17] Cf. Hebrews 13:8.

[18] This line is perhaps a modified quotation of one of Ephrem’s hymns on the nativity (and a part which is sung in the Maronite Church as Shubḥo l-Haw Qolo):

Akhrass and Syryany text: ܫܰܡ̈ܥܳܟ ܐܶܕ̈ܢܶܐ ܚܙܰܝ̈ܳܟ ܥܰܝ̈ܢܶܐ ܓܳܫ̈ܳܟ ܐܺܝܕ̈ܶܐ ܆ ܘܰܐܟܠܳܟ ܦܽܘܡܳܐ ܕܰܒܢܰܝ̈ܢܳܫܳܐ ܕܳܐܦ ܠܰܚܡܳܐ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ

Beck text of Ephrem: ܫܡ̈ܥܝܗܝ ܐܦ ܐ̈ܕܢܐ ܚ̈ܙܝܝܗܝ ܥܝ̈ܢܐ܆ ܡ̈ܫܝܗܝ ܐܦ ܐܝ̈ܕܐ ܘܐܟܠܗ ܦܘܡܐ (“Ears have even heard Him, eyes have seen Him; hands have also touched Him, and the mouth has eaten Him”).

Edmund Beck, Des Heiligen Ephraem Des Syrers Hymnen de Nativitate (Epiphania), vol. 1, CSCO 186, Syr. 82 (Secrétariat du CorpusSCO, 1959). See hymn 4.144 (p.38).

[19] I.e., the Church. These lines refer to baptism.

[20] Lit. “the great image pulled You up.” The “great image” refers to humanity, made in God’s image. This couplet references Matthew 17:24-27, where Jesus had Peter pay the temple tax using a coin (Syriac: ܐܶܣܬܺܝܪܳܐ) that miraculously appeared in a fish’s mouth. Jacob has a beautiful homily on this event, in which he says that the coin in the fish’s mouth represents both Christ and humanity, which is stamped in His image. The fish, like the fish that swallowed Jonah, represents Death consuming Christ/humanity. Peter ‘fishing’ out the coin represents the apostles preaching the good news of the resurrection to humanity. Jacob’s homily on “The Coin Found by Peter in the Mouth of a Fish” is Homily 9 in Akhrass and Syryany, 160 Unpublished Homilies vol.1, pp.80-89. For a scholarly treatment, see: Imad Syryany, “Images of Salvation in Two Mimre of Jacob of Serugh: ‘Peter’s Stater from the Fish’ and ‘The Parable of Ten Coins and Hundred Sheep.’” Syriac Orthodox Patriarchal Journal 59 (2021): 55–72.

[21] “ransom” or “deliverance/salvation” (ܦܘܪܩܢܐ).

[22] Isaiah 53:2. See also Jacob’s homily numbered 163 in Bedjan, on King Uzziah and the Prophet Isaiah. Jacob discusses the same passage (“He will be called ‘wonder’”) and uses this same reference to Isaiah 53:2: “…[Isaiah] saw that His great brightness was hidden in His bodiliness, / and began to depict Him as without form or brightness.’” See Bedjan v.5 p.404.

[23] Luke 2:1-3.

[24] John 2:1-11.

[25] “leader of the feasters”: ܪܺܝܫܳܐ... ܕܰܣܡܺܝ̈ܟܶܐ,  I have translated “ܪܝܫܐ” throughout this section as “leader.”

[26] “They made His footsteps descend” lit. “They made His heel descend” (ܠܥܶܩܒܳܐ ܐܰܚܬܽܘܗ̱ܝ).

[27] The divine chariot of Ezekiel 1:4-28.

[28] “in awe” lit. “as they are in awe.”

[29] Isaiah 6:3. This quotation matches the liturgical sanctus, which includes the reference to “heaven” being filled with God’s glory (Isaiah 6:3 only mentions “earth”).

ܡܳܪܝܳܐ ܕܰܡܠܶܝܢ ܫܡܰܝܳܐ ܘܰܐܪܥܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܬܶܫܒܽܘܚܬܶܗ

[30] “the soul is not able to”: ܠܳܐ ܡܶܣܬܰܦܩܳܐ ܢܰܦܫܳܐ. Jacob uses the double-meaning of the root ܣܦܩ (“to empty”, “to be able”) to show in more stark contrast the soul that wonders vs. the mind “emptied of wonder” in line 73 (ܐܶܣܬܰܦܰܩ ܠܶܗ ܡܶܢ ܕܽܘܡܳܪܳܐ).

[31] “a learned man” or “a scribe”: ܣܳܦܪܳܐ.

[32] The base text is ܙܟܐ (masc.). I am reading the subject as the “path” (fem.) with the variant ܙܟܝܐ.

[33] ܒܬܽܘܠܬܳܐ ܝܶܠܕܰܬ ܘܦܳܫ ܠܶܗ ܟܝܳܢܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܣܽܘܥܪܳܢܳܐ܆ ܘܰܒܛܶܠ ܫܰܪܒܳܐ ܕܰܟܝܳܢܳܐܺܝܬ ܡܶܬܡܰܠܰܠ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ.

[34] ܟܝܳܢܳܐ ܒܰܛܺܝܠ ܘܽܐܘܪܚܳܐ ܪܳܡܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܦܽܘܫܳܩܳܐ܆ ܘܰܠܕܽܘܡܳܪܳܐ ܫܳܪܶܟ ܫܰܪܒܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܕܡܶܬܡܰܠܰܠ.

[35] Lit. “And because of this he called Him ‘wonder’ in prophecy, / [he,] the prophet who apprehended all the mysteries of the Only-Begotten.”

[36] The exact sense of these lines is a bit obscure to me. Syriac: ܘܠܳܐ ܐܶܫܰܥܝܳܐ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܐܶܫܟܰܚ ܒܶܝܬ ܓܶܠ̈ܝܳܢܶܐ܆ ܕܣܳܡ ܠܰܡܫܺܝܚܳܐ ܫܡܳܐ ܕܽܘܡܳܪܳܐ ܘܠܳܐ ܠܳܚܶܡ ܠܶܗ.

[37] “tabernacle”: ܫܟܺܝܢܬܳܐ

[38] Lit. “and his mind was illuminated by the things to come, that he might see them.”

[39] Lit. “and he was made a harp by the parables, that he might explain them.”

[40] “the path” lit. “it.”

[41] “the learned man”: ܣܳܦܪܳܐ.

[42] “in the churches” or “in the gatherings” (ܒܰܟܢܽܘܫ̈ܳܬܳܐ). I assume that Jacob is referring to debates over the Council of Chalcedon, which split the Church.

[43] “definition” or “boundary” or “limit” (ܠܥܶܠ ܡܶܢ ܣܳܟܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ).

[44] Syriac: ܟܡܳܐ ܕܰܐܚܺܝܕܺܝܢ ܟܽܘܪ̈ܣܰܘܳܬܳܐ. This most likely refers to bishops, who hold episcopal “seats” or “thrones.”

[45] “Your tidings” or “Your gospel” (ܣܒܰܪܬܳܟ).

Translated by Aimee Hannoush, December 2025.