On the Good Samaritan

1.                 Come, let us be eager for the Son of God’s teaching,

2.                    for from it all dark souls receive light.

3.                 Come, let us delight in the Son’s word, which is full of life,

4.                    for its taste is much sweeter than honey from the honeycomb.[2]

5.                 <313> O see our Lord, the Tree of Life, and He bears fruits –

6.                    come, let us pluck and eat from Him a choice fruit!

7.                 We have already eaten from that Tree of Knowledge.

8.                    The Tree of Life has come to us – let us eat from it!

9.                 See, the Church is the divine paradise,

10.                and that Tree full of life is the holy altar.

11.             But that Tree of Knowledge is outside the door,

12.                and lovers of the world daily pluck fruit from it.

13.             The serpent who deceived Eve our mother does not enter here,

14.                for Mary stands to hear the word from Gabriel.[3]

15.             The Virgin and the watcher speak here open truth,

16.                and he who speaks deceit is expelled, never again to dare.

17.             Gone is the time of the old woman who spoke with the basilisk;

18.                the girl has entered and stood to speak with the angel.

19.             The cherub has fled, and they no longer have him guard the garden,[4]

20.                and the garden is open – come, O dead, enter toward resurrection!

21.             There are no gates and no guards for the Tree of Life!

22.                The thief has entered.[5] Who will not be beautiful like that murderer?

23.             Good and evil ones, come enter and eat from the Tree

24.                for it scatters its fruits on the far and the near.

25.             <314> Eve plucked the killing fruit and gave [it] to Adam,

26.                and the two of them died from that death-full food.

27.             [But] here men approach and pluck from the Tree

28.                and distribute it for the world to live from its food.[6]

29.             Where the woman iniquitously overstepped toward the priesthood,

30.                Death reigned over the unrighteous ministry.

31.             She first approached and ate from the tree,

32.                and it was not good for the heel to be above the head.

33.             And because a despicable deed happened in that ministry,

34.                Death wounded all the children of Adam and Eve.

35.             [But] here the head is restored to be above the heel,

36.                and for the serpent to die since he deceived those of Adam’s family,

37.             and for everyone to flee from that Tree of Knowledge

38.                and for everyone to eat from the Tree of Life, our Lord,

39.             and for men to serve as priests in the Holy of Holies as they were created,

40.                and for women to stand behind men as they are naturally ordained,

41.             and for us to hear the word from Gabriel instead of the serpent,

42.                and for Mary to advise about women instead of Eve,[7]

43.             and for all inversions that happened to depart,

44.                and for the whole order confused there to be restored,

45.             <315> and for men to give holiness[8] to women unashamed,

46.                and for Eve to gain life on account of her children, as it is written.[9]

47.             Restored, restored, is the work the serpent corrupted!

48.                For the Son of God restored the world that was corrupted.

49.             That Tree which was hidden went out into the open,

50.                 [to] the middle of the garden, but Adam and Eve did not perceive it.

51.             The evil world was exposed to be wholly despicable

52.                and by its beauty was leading astray like that Tree of Knowledge.

53.             The world’s beauty was exposed, and everyone knew

54.                it would be corrupted and its beloved could not retain it.[10]

55.             Reveal and show us the other world, O Son of God!

56.                For the world has not perceived it, that eternal world.

57.             A great learned man has been sent to us, and through His teaching

58.                He has drawn the soul to enter the Eden of the Godhead,

59.             and to see there exalted, incomprehensible beauties

60.                and to hate corruptible, untrue beauties.

61.             The human soul was dark and suffocating,

62.                but it has shone and gained life from the teaching of the Son of God!

63.             His word dawned upon souls like the sun

64.                and they set their faces toward its light to walk.

65.             The Creator made the soul’s nature very beautiful,[11]

66.                <316> but it was corrupted by the serpent that vomited death.

67.             And when the Virgin’s Son set His face against the serpent,

68.                He crushed it in its lair,[12] and the wounded soul was restored,

69.             and [the soul] became beautiful and shone from His life-filled teaching,

70.                and now mocks the snake who killed it among the trees!

71.             The Father’s image was depicted on the soul, and when it was corrupted,

72.                the Son was sent to restore the image that had been corrupted.[13]

73.             And He came and restored [it], and cut off the great snake’s path,

74.                and opened the garden for those expelled who had left to return.

75.             He became a teacher, by His teaching to abrogate the words

76.                of the snake who spoke lies and death to Adam’s family.

77.             And He came in the flesh, and the world saw Him as a human

78.                lest they look at Him as a stranger when He spoke.

79.             He gave Himself over to questioning when He taught

80.                and explained mysteries concealed from knowledge.

81.             Once a woman was asking Him and learning from Him

82.                about whether the teaching of Samaria or Judah was correct.[14]

83.             Another woman in a crowd of people asked Him

84.                for her sons to sit on His right and on His left.[15]

85.             The Sadducees were asking Him whose wife

86.                <317> a woman with seven husbands would be at the resurrection.[16]

87.             Others asked Him with great deceit about the toll and poll tax

88.                and whether they should give to Caesar or not.[17]

89.             One said, “where You are I will be with You.”

90.                Another petitioned, “I will go after You wherever You go.”[18]

91.             As if [asking] a friend, fellow, and companion,

92.                they were asking Him and learning their explanations from Him.

93.             And He was not puffed up nor provoked nor enraged;

94.                He did not grow angry, and He explained when He was asked.

95.             There were those who asked Him out of love, to learn from Him,

96.                and those who in deceit were craftily speaking with Him.

97.             There were those who sought to snare Him in speech and mock Him;

98.                another questioned to learn the truth and gain life from it.[19]

99.             Now our Lord, like a rich man with much to give,

100.            replied to everyone’s questions without complaint.[20]

101.         He gave explanations for the questions of friends and enemies

102.            like His Father also makes His sun dawn on the good and evil.[21]

103.         One scribe, then, asked Him about the commandments,

104.            about which of them, for God, was greatest among its companions.

105.         He asked Him to say which commandment was the greatest,

106.            and our Lord answered this man, too, gently.

107.         <318> “That you should love the Lord your God is greatest,” He told him,

108.             “with all your strength and from your mind and from your possessions.”

109.         Indeed, truly, the love of the Lord is greatest,

110.            and that Teacher of true things answered well.

111.         All the laws, all admonishments, and all the commandments

112.            are contained in the love of the Lord, wherever it is.

113.         Who loves the Lord and approaches evil things?

114.            Or is there a good thing he does not do if he loves Him?

115.         Whoever loves the Lord can never sin,

116.            for love of the Lord uproots sins from souls.[22]

117.         For someone to love the Lord, he has been emptied out

118.            of evil things, and his soul has come and been filled with good things.[23]

119.         It is written: do not kill, nor commit adultery, nor steal,

120.            nor lust, nor testify lying testimony.

121.         If, then, someone loves God, evils cease,

122.            and there is no way for him to do one of these things.[24]

123.         For how, O listeners, could there be a way

124.            for thorns to sprout in a fire-filled furnace?

125.         Or how could it ever be possible, O obedient one,

126.            for straw and flame to dwell in one building?

127.         <319> Love of the Lord is great fire and flame,

128.            and sins are thorns – and there is no way for them to sprout in it.

129.         The soul that is full of love of the Lord does not need

130.            a law to teach it to do good things.

131.         Once a soul loves the Lord, it hates evil things –

132.            it hates sins and it hates wealth and possessions.

133.         But if love of the Lord leaves a person,

134.            Satan enters and makes him a nest for all evils.

135.         And this person needs laws and commandments

136.            to subdue him, like a wild horse.

137.         A person uses bonds and fetters for slaves who flee from their masters,

138.            not for children and beloved ones.

139.         [There is] a bridle for the horse and mule, who are not intelligent,

140.            and commandments for wrongdoers[25] and sinners.

141.         Love of the Lord does not need commandments

142.            to set a boundary for it of how and what to do.

143.         Who is commanded to love someone he loves?

144.            For he loves him, and no commandment makes him love.[26]

145.         Once someone loves God, he shines through God,

146.            and his path is cleared of unfitting obstacles.

147.         <320> And for this reason, our Lord replied to the scribe

148.             “that You love the Lord your God is the greatest of the commandments.”

149.         And because of that man who asked, everyone learned

150.            that no one can find among the commandments one greater than this.

151.         Therefore a person must take care to love God,

152.            and then all the Scriptures and their commandments will be complete!

153.         All commandments are contained in the love of the Lord,

154.            and all beauties flow from it, wherever it is.

155.         And when the Son of God was asked about the commandments,

156.            He magnified this one, by far the greatest of the commandments.

157.         “That you love the Lord your God,” He told the questioner,

158.             “and also your neighbor as yourself.”

159.         The scribe said, “and who is my neighbor, so I may love him?”

160.            And our Lord began to speak a parable about his neighbor:

161.         “As a certain man was going down from Jerusalem

162.            to Jericho, robbers fell upon him.

163.         And they beat him greatly, pounded him, bruised him, robbed him, stripped him,

164.            and threw him down, leaving him with just a little soul left.

165.         And a priest saw him as he was passing by and left him and went on,

166.            and also a Levite passed near him and left him, too.

167.         Then a certain Samaritan happened to be on the path as he was going down.

168.            <321> He saw this man cast down and beaten by robbers,

169.         and he had mercy on him like a loved one and went down to him

170.            and cared for him and bandaged his wounds with concern,

171.         and poured out wine and oil upon his wounds,

172.            and took him, brought, and placed him in an inn out of his love.

173.         And he directed the innkeeper to care for him,

174.            and he brought out and gave him two denarii for [the man].

175.         And he told him, ‘Spend these for his wounds,

176.            and if you spend more, when I return, I will repay you.’

177.         Who of these was the neighbor of the beaten man?”

178.            The scribe said, “He who had mercy upon his wounds.”

179.         Our Lord said, “Go, act in this way.”

180.            And the scribe left not knowing what He told him.

181.         Though the parable remained unexplained after it was spoken,

182.            the proud scribe was thinking it had been explained to him.

183.         If someone should love whoever does good things for him,

184.            why is he commanded to love his enemies?[27]

185.         If the Samaritan, because he healed the beaten man,

186.            was his neighbor, then who has healed me and become my neighbor?

187.         The matter presses whoever listens outwardly:

188.            <322> whoever does good things for you is your neighbor.

189.         And as for me, no one has done me good except the Lord,

190.            and I know He is my neighbor and so I love Him.

191.         No one has cared for me, no one bandaged me except the Lord,

192.            and no one has met me and healed my wounds except Him.

193.         Come forth, O scribe, from whom the heard-story is hidden!

194.            Come to the house of the Peoples and hear the explanations clearly.

195.         A window of light was opened for us on Golgotha,

196.            and our soul was enlightened for us to hear the parables and their explanations.

197.         I will not ask, “Who is my neighbor?” like the Hebrew,

198.            for this is clear: no one is my neighbor like God.[28]

199.         Neither family nor siblings nor parents,

200.            nor children are close to me like God.

201.         My father was close, and my mother, too, was very close,

202.            yet since they died they went very far off – and who is my neighbor?

203.         There were siblings who were as close as limbs,

204.            but when they, too, died, I would seek others to be close to me.

205.         Friends and companions who promised they would be close –

206.            disease befell them and proved how far they are!

207.         O man who asks about who [his] neighbor is!

208.            Who is close to you like the unchanging God?

209.         <323> Your wife is very close to you, for “you are one,”[29]

210.            but see if she dies, another will come to be with you.

211.         And if you think a poor man is your neighbor,

212.            yet he has not bandaged you like the Samaritan who became a parable!

213.         Rise, look now on the way of the world on which you are fallen

214.            and bit by bit see the passers-by. Who is bandaging you?

215.         See who has given you oil and wine for your bruises

216.            and poured out [medicine] and bandaged and cared for you – he is your neighbor.

217.         Come forth, O scribe, son of the Hebrews, who heard and neglected

218.            to ask again for the parable he heard to be explained.[30]

219.         All your hearing was wandering outside when you asked Him,

220.            but our Lord looked to speak within, with the soul.

221.         And when He was asked to say which commandment was greatest,

222.            He showed that love of the Lord is the greatest of the commandments.

223.         And that which was said, “also your neighbor as yourself”

224.             [is] doubled speech, the commandment being entirely one.

225.         He lays down the commandment “you should love the Lord and your neighbor,”

226.            and He is both Lord and neighbor to whoever knows Him.

227.         In your mother’s womb as He was forming you, He was your neighbor;

228.            as He made you firm with nerves and bones, He was neighbor.

229.         When He gave you breath in the airless womb,

230.            <324> who was close to you like Him, as you say?

231.         When He blew in you like a craftsman in glass[31]

232.            in your mother’s womb, who but Him was close to you?

233.         When He made you go out to come to birth and see light,

234.            Who except Him has given you life in the world?

235.         When you enter within the sad gates of Sheol,

236.            and siblings and friends and companions and family remain [behind] –

237.         parents, children, kin, wife, and acquaintances,

238.            and everyone goes far off, He alone is your neighbor.

239.         There is no neighbor in the womb or in the grave

240.            except for one – He is Lord, and He is neighbor.

241.         And since it is necessary for a person to love God,

242.            the commandment is doubled – “you should love the Lord and your neighbor.”

243.         And when someone seeks to search out and learn about his neighbor,

244.            he sees truly that He is the Lord, as we have said.

245.         He [was] seeking to say, “love the Father and love the Son.”

246.             “God” is the Father, and “your neighbor” is the Son of God.

247.         He got up and came down from the high heights of His Father,

248.            and by His will became a neighbor to humanity.

249.         He became from us, from the womb of the Glorious Woman,

250.            and He made us from Himself, in that spiritual birth.[32]

251.         <325> He became our neighbor up to the point of becoming the Son of Man,

252.            and He came to fill, in death, our place for our sake.

253.         He brought us near in Himself and mingled us with Him and made us His own

254.            up to the point of us becoming children of God and calling out “Our Father.”

255.         Who, again, is close to us like Him but Him?

256.            And who should we so love but Him?

257.         Let us love the Father, Who willed and sent His Only-Begotten,

258.            and let us love the Son Who endured sufferings for our sake.

259.         Thus it is written, “love God and your neighbor” –

260.            the Father and His Son – and then your good things[33] will be complete!

261.         And if there is someone here concerned for instruction,

262.            let him hear the word of the Son of God clearly.

263.         “A certain man descended from Jerusalem to Jericho.”

264.            Who is this if not Adam, if you consider it?

265.         He descended from the great paradise of Eden

266.            to the cursed earth, like Jericho, for whoever considers it.

267.         “From Jerusalem,” the city of holy things and the priesthood,

268.            which is wholly depicted in that spiritual paradise.

269.         He descended “to Jericho,” the world full of all evils,

270.            and its earth is cursed and fallen and uprooted like Jericho.

271.         And when Adam was descending to the world from paradise,

272.            <326> Satan and Death accosted him like thieves!

273.         And they fell upon him on the way of the world – crushed and destroyed him with their blows –

274.            and he became a beaten, slain, cast-down man.

275.         And that saying “there was a just little soul in him” is to say

276.            there was hope for God to raise him up.

277.         Then the great prophet Moses came and saw Adam

278.            and left him with his wounds and passed without bandaging him.

279.         After Moses [came] all the prophets like the Levites

280.            and they too saw him and passed by and did not raise him up.

281.         Moses did not raise him with his sacrifices and offerings,

282.            nor did the prophets with their revelations and visions.

283.         The righteous passed by, the prophets and priests, and did not raise Adam

284.            who had been beaten on the way of the world when he was traveling on it.

285.         And Christ came after all these things, being dishonored,

286.            and they scorned Him, [saying]: “You are a Samaritan!” and “You have a demon!”[34]

287.         They told the Expeller of demons “You have a demon!”

288.            Let the earth tremble and condemn them at how much they wronged Him!

289.         They called Emmanuel a Samaritan as they were raving,

290.            but at their insults He did not cease from good things.

291.         And perhaps the scribe heard with his ears that blasphemy

292.            as the Son of God was scorned by the impudent.

293.         <327> And when they said “You are a Samaritan” to the Son of God,

294.            he heard that insult from their mouths.

295.         For this reason our Lord put the name “Samaritan”

296.            on the one who had mercy on the wounds of the beaten man.

297.         Let the one who had mercy and healed the wounds be a Samaritan.

298.            But why would he be scorned by sinners?[35]

299.         Why do the sick, greatly injured People not love

300.            Him Who bandaged and cared for and healed their wounds?

301.         He visited the sick, cleansed lepers, made the blind see,

302.            made the deaf hear, nourished the hungry, straightened the bent.

303.         He did everything good for all of them like a compassionate one –

304.            why would they not love Him even if He was a Samaritan?

305.         The People rejected the Son of God while He was healing them,

306.            and while He was performing His fair deeds, they did not love Him.

307.         He came down from His height toward afflicted Adam,

308.            and had compassion and tended his many wounds.

309.         With oil He treated him – which is the mark of baptism –

310.            and He poured out wine – the cup of His blood – on his wounds.

311.         With oil and wine the Good Doctor made a treatment for him –

312.            with anointing and with His blood He treated him, and the weak man rose.

313.         He carried the cast-down and brought and placed him in the holy Church,

314.            <328> the common place in which all who are afflicted are treated.

315.         He gave the priest Body and Blood to place

316.            on his wounds and care for him and heal him.

317.         And that which He said, “If you spend more, I will repay you”

318.            is so that the priest might pray and care [for him] with his own suffering.

319.         Therefore the priest is indebted to give the Body and Blood –

320.            for they are set right down before him to give to the afflicted –

321.         and also to pray and request mercy for sinners,

322.            as it was commanded, “that he should also spend from what is his own.”

323.         Prayer is his, but the Body and Blood are not his,

324.            and he receives his wage when he prays for sinners.

325.         It is for the priest to pray for the sinner

326.            and to give him teaching that is full of life,

327.         and to admonish and rebuke him from [doing] evils

328.            and to exhort him to rush daily toward the good,

329.         and to be himself like a beautiful mirror

330.            and not to give any cause for scandals and harms,

331.         but by works and paths of righteousness

332.            to inspire and bring him to repentance, which treats wounds.

333.         And if from what he has he does these things for the sinner,

334.            the Son of God will repay him as He promised.

335.         <329> At that second coming when He comes, He will give a wage

336.            to everyone who worked righteousness toward the sinner –

337.         to the priest who eagerly and with care tended his wounds

338.            with the Body and Blood, and who supported him further with prayers.

339.         When at the end the Son of God comes again,

340.            He will pay more and not deny the priest his wage.

341.         As He promised, “when I return, I will repay you,”

342.            He will give to whoever toils with fair deeds.

343.         As commanded by the Merciful One, Who tended us with His blood,

344.            the sinner needs the priest to care much for him

345.         and to pray and bring forth incense for his atonement,

346.            and with prayers to bring him forth[36] before God,

347.         and to bond the Body and Blood to his wounds,

348.            and to bear sufferings and seek mercy for his sake.

349.         Let us look now, not like the scribe who did not understand,

350.            but with a great mind let us ask who it is who healed us.

351.         The One Who had mercy upon our wounds is our neighbor,

352.            and no other neighbor has come upon us but Him.

353.         He Who lowered Himself to the womb toward us, and into the grave,

354.            <330> and entered and brought us out from the great serpent’s den –

355.         He is our neighbor, the Son of God Who became from us –

356.            and if we love Him, from Him all good things will flow.

357.         He became our neighbor to the point of probing the depths of Sheol

358.            and descending and raising us up from the whirlpool full of the dead.

359.         Transgressing the commandment distanced Adam from God,

360.            and the Son of God became his neighbor and kin.

361.         And He became flesh through him and took his image from the womb,

362.            and became a second Adam in the flesh while He is God.[37]

363.         And He is close to us, and it is He Who even tended our wounds,

364.            and He gave oil and wine to tend our afflictions.

365.         I will not ask now – not I! – who my neighbor is,

366.            for without question I know He is the Son of God!

367.         O prudent one, hear and understand like a discerning person,

368.            that humanity has no neighbor except our Lord!

369.         And from what He said to that scribe when he asked,

370.            you should know He desired to explain about Himself.

371.         He in His will became a neighbor to humanity

372.            and He alone did good things for our whole race.

373.         And He had mercy upon the wounds of wretched Adam

374.            <331> who had been afflicted by Satan and Death, as we have said.

375.         It is quite fitting for Him to compare the world to Jericho,

376.            for the earth is cursed,[38] and cursed is the city compared to it.

377.         And that “Jerusalem,” the city of holiness, is Paradise –

378.            this word stands undisputed among the discerning.

379.         And that generations, prophets, priests, all the righteous passed by

380.            and did not bandage Adam – the truth testifies clearly.

381.         And that He Who cared and bandaged and bound is our Lord –

382.            the fact is clearly obvious to those entering the world.

383.         And that no one descended and bandaged Adam except Jesus,

384.            His sufferings testify, for how much did He endure for his sake!

385.         The Son of God explained thus to the scribe who asked:

386.             “he who cares for your healing is your neighbor.”

387.         And if someone turns to another place for an explanation

388.            he will be confused, for it is not explained except in our Lord.

389.         God commanded the whole human race

390.             “you should love the Lord and your neighbor as yourself.”

391.         And therefore every person must see how he is afflicted,

392.            and who has struck him, and who has tended him with oil and wine.

393.         For the commandment that is from God is of everyone,

394.            <332> and every person is required to love his neighbor.

395.         And our Lord taught when asked about the neighbor

396.            that he who is close to you is whoever has cared for your wounds.

397.         And there is no other who has tended the wounds of the afflicted

398.            except our Lord, and it is clear He is my neighbor!

399.         He told the scribe, “Go, do thus.”

400.            and there is no way for the word to stand literally.[39]

401.         For when [this] is heard by someone listening literally:

402.             “when someone has beaten you, and another come and bandaged your wounds,

403.         love the one who bandages you, for he is your neighbor” –

404.            but if he is not beaten and they do not bandage him, who will he love?

405.         The explanation of the Son of God is clear as a light,

406.            that the whole race has been beaten and afflicted on the path of the world,

407.         and priests and the just have seen it and passed by without bandaging it,

408.            but Christ came, bandaged its wounds, and made it well.

409.         And a person is required to love Him like himself,

410.            for He approached and mingled and became a companion to the afflicted.

411.         And see, Moses already gave this commandment to the People!

412.            He signaled to the People to greatly love the Son of God.

413.         <333> “Love God and your neighbor,” he told them,

414.            and the mystery was concealed until the Son of God dawned.

415.         And when He was asked by that scribe about his neighbor,

416.            He revealed about Himself that He is close to humanity.

417.         For if the commandment did not need explanation,

418.            the scribe would not have asked Him “who is my neighbor?”

419.         But because something was hidden from listeners,

420.            there was a question about Him to be explained.

421.         And our Lord revealed the hidden mystery for everyone to learn

422.            that He Who bandaged stricken Adam is his neighbor.

423.         The Son of God tended the wounds of the whole race.

424.            Blessed is He Who gave us His Body and His Blood so we may be healed in Him![40]

܀܀܀܀܀ 

[1] This homily is on the Parable of the Good Samaritan, recorded in Luke 10:25-37. I checked it against Vatican Syriac 118 ff.160r-164r.

[2] Psalm 19:10.

[3] Luke 1:26-38.

[4] Genesis 3:24.

[5] Luke 23:43.

[6] Lit. “and distribute it to the world, so [the world] may live from its food.”

[7] Or, “and for Mary to rule over women instead of Eve.”

[8] “holiness”: ܩܽܘܕܫܳܐ.

[9] Cf. Genesis 3:15.

[10] Lit. “that it was corrupted and could not be retained by its beloved ones.”

[11] Lit. “The nature of the soul is very beautiful by the Creator.”

[12] Cf. Genesis 3:15.

[13] Genesis 1:27.

[14] See the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, in John 4:4-42.

[15] Matthew 20:20-23.

[16] Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-40.

[17] Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:20-26.

[18] Matthew 8:19; Luke 9:57.

[19] Or, “from Him.”

[20] Lit. “Our Lord, then, like a rich man Who is able to give [or Who has (things) to give], / replied to all questions for everyone without complaint.”

[21] Matthew 5:45.

[22] Cf. 1 John 3:4-10.

[23] I am unsure of the precise sense of this sentence:

ܕܐܢܳܫ ܠܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ ܢܶܗܘܶܐ ܪܳܚܶܡ ܐܶܣܬܰܦܰܩ ܠܶܗ܆ ܡܶܢ ܒܺܝ̈ܫܳܬܳܐ ܘܥܶܠܰܬ ܢܰܦܫܶܗ ܡܠܳܬ ܛܳܒ̈ܳܬܳܐ

[24] Lit. “If, then, someone loves God, evils cease, / and there is no way for one of these things to be done in/by him.” I translate “ܒܛܶܠ ܒܺܝ̈ܫܳܬܳܐ” with “evils” as the subject, though the subject may also be the person who “ceases [doing] evil things.” Since the noun is a feminine plural, the verb looks the same in Bedjan’s edition as a masculine singular. In Vatican Syriac 118, however, the verb is written clearly as a feminine plural: “ܒ̈ܛܠܝ.”

[25] I have translated “wrongdoers” according to Bedjan’s vocalization, but it could also be construed as “slaves of iniquity” (ܠܥܒ̈ܕܝ ܥܘܠܐ), which would parallel Jacob’s analogy in the preceding couplet.

[26] Lit. “and it is not a commandment that makes him love.”

[27] Matthew 5:43-48.

[28] The words Jacob uses for “neighbor” (ܩܪܝܒܐ) and “close” (ܩܪܝܒ) are from the same root, heightening the similarity between God being his “neighbor” by being “close” to him. The wordplay is lost in translation, but the reader should note that in this section, every time I have used the word “neighbor” or “close,” they come from the same root. I have translated “neighbor” when Jacob uses ܩܪܝܒܐ as a substantive, and “close” when he uses ܩܪܝܒ as an adjective.

[29] Genesis 2:24.

[30] Lit. “Come here, O scribe, son of the Hebrews, who heard and neglected / and did not ask again for the parable he heard to be explained.”

[31] More literally, “When He blew you up like a craftsman [does] to glass”

[32] I.e., baptism.

[33] “good things” or “beautiful things”: ܫܰܦܺܝܪ̈ܳܬܳܐ.

[34] John 8:48.

[35] This couplet is not entirely clear to me. I think Jacob is saying that, even if we supposed the one who healed the man was really a Samaritan (i.e., an enemy), there would be no reason to scorn such a person (see lines 304).

ܢܶܗܘܶܐ ܕܺܐܝܬܰܘܗܝ ܫܳܡܪܳܝܳܐ ܠܰܡ ܗܰܘ ܕܶܐܬܪܰܚܰܡ܆ ܘܰܐܣܺܝ ܟܺܐܒ̈ܶܐ ܠܡܳܢ ܡܶܨܛܰܥܰܪ ܡܶܢ ܥܰܘ̈ܳܠܶܐ܀

[36] Or, “to make the offering.” The word ܡܩܪܒ, in the pa‘el, connotes the eucharistic offering.

[37] 1 Corinthians 15:45-49.

[38] Genesis 3:17.

[39] “literally” lit. “according to the flesh” (also in line 401): ܦܓܪܢܐܝܬ

Translated by Aimee Hannoush, March 2026.