Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume IX/The Diatessaron of Tatian/The Diatessaron/Section VIII

by Tatian

Section VIII.

[1] ^[1]And the Pharisees went out, and consulted together concerning him, that they [2] might destroy him.  ^[2]And Jesus perceived, and removed thence:  and great multitudes [3] followed him; and he healed all of them:  ^[3]and he forbade them that they should [4] not make him known:^{[4]  [5]}that the saying in Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which said,

[5] ^[6]Behold, my servant^[7] with whom I am pleased;

My beloved in whom my soul hath delighted:^[8]

My spirit have I put upon him,

And he shall proclaim to the nations judgement.

[6] ^[9]He shall not dispute, nor cry out;

And no man shall hear his voice in the marketplace.

[7] ^[10]And a bruised reed shall he not break,

And a smoking lamp^[11] shall he not extinguish,

Until he shall bring forth judgement unto victory.

[8] ^[12]And the nations shall rejoice in his name.^[13]

[9] ^[14]And in those days Jesus went out to the mountain that he might pray, and he [10] spent the night^[15] there in prayer to God.  ^[16]And when the morning was come, he called the disciples.  ^[17]And he went towards the sea:  and there followed him much people [11] from Galilee that he might pray,^{[18] [19]}and from Judæa, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumæa, and from beyond Jordan, and from Tyre, and from Sidon, and from Decapolis; [12] and great multitudes came unto him, which had heard what he did.  ^[20]And he spake to his disciples to bring him the boat because of the multitudes, that they [13] might not throng him.  ^[21]And he healed many, so that they were almost falling on [Arabic, p. 31] him^[22] on account of their seeking to get near him.  And^[23] those that had [14] plagues and unclean spirits, ^[24]as soon as they beheld him, would fall, and [15] cry out, and say, Thou art the Son of God.  ^[25]And he rebuked them much, that they [16] should not make him known.  ^[26]And those that were under the constraint of^[27] unclean [17] spirits were healed.  ^[28]And all of the crowd were seeking to come near^[29] him; because power went out from him, and he healed them all.

[18, 19] ^[30]And when Jesus saw the multitudes, he went up to the mountain.  ^[31]And he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve; and they are those whom he named [20] apostles:  ^[32]Simon, whom he named Cephas, and Andrew his brother, and James and [21] John, and Philip and Bartholomew, ^[33]and Matthew and Thomas, and James the son [22] of Alphæus, and Simon which was called the Zealot, ^[34]and Judas the son of James, [23] and Judas the Iscariot, being he that had betrayed him.^{[35]  [36]}And Jesus went down with them and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and the great [24] multitude of people.  ^[37]And these twelve he chose to be with him, and that he might [25] send them to preach, and to have power to heal the sick and to cast out devils.

[26] ^[38]Then he lifted up his eyes unto them, and opened his mouth, ^[39]and taught them, and said,

[27] ^[40]Blessed are the poor in spirit:  for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

[28] ^[41]Blessed are the sorrowful:  for they shall be comforted.

[29] ^[42]Blessed are the humble:  for they shall inherit the earth.

[30] ^[43]Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness:  for they shall be satisfied.

[31] ^[44]Blessed are the merciful:  for on them shall be mercy.

[32] [Arabic, p. 32] ^[45]Blessed are the pure in their hearts:  for they shall see God.

[33] ^[46]Blessed are the peacemakers:  for they shall be called the sons of God.

[34] ^[47]Blessed are they that were persecuted^[48] for righteousness’ sake:  for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

[35] ^[49]Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and separate you from them, and persecute you, and reproach you, ^[50]and shall speak against you with all evil talk, for my [36] sake, falsely.  ^[51]Then rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven:  for so persecuted they the prophets before you.

[37] ^[52]But woe unto you rich! for ye have received your consolation.

[38] ^[53]Woe unto you that are satisfied! ye shall hunger.

Woe unto you that laugh now! ye shall weep and be sad.

[39] ^[54]Woe unto you when men praise you! for so did their fathers use to do to the false prophets.

[40] ^[55]Unto you do I say, ye which hear, ^[56]Ye are the salt of the earth:  if then the salt become tasteless, wherewith shall it be salted?  For any purpose it is of no use, but [41] is thrown outside, and men tread upon it.  ^[57]Ye are the light of the world.  It is [42] impossible that a city built on a mountain should be hid.  ^[58]Neither do they light a lamp and place it under a bushel, but on the lamp-stand, and it giveth light to all [43] who are in the house.  ^[59]So shall^[60] your light shine before men, that they may see [44] your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.  ^[61]There is nothing [45] secret that shall not be revealed, or hidden that shall not be known.  ^[62]Whoever hath ears that hear, let him hear.

[46] ^[63]Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets; I came not to destroy, [47] but to complete.  ^[64]Verily I say unto you, Until heaven and earth shall pass, there [Arabic, p. 33] shall not pass one point or one letter of the law, until all of it shall be [48] accomplished.  ^[65]Every one who shall violate now one of these small commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called lacking in the kingdom of heaven:  every one that shall do and teach shall^[66] be called great in the kingdom [49] of heaven.  ^[67]I say unto you now, unless your righteousness abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.

[50] ^[68]Ye have heard that it was said to the ancients, Do not kill; and every one that [51] killeth is worthy of the judgement.  ^[69]But I say unto you that every one who is angry with his brother without a cause is worthy of the judgement; and every one that saith to his brother, Thou foul one, is condemned^[70] by the synagogue; and whosoever [52] saith to him, Thou fool, is worthy of the fire of Gehenna.  ^[71]If thou art now offering thy gift at the altar, and rememberest there that thy brother hath conceived [53] against thee any grudge, ^[72]leave thy gift at the altar, and go first and satisfy thy [54] brother, and then return and offer thy gift.  ^[73]Join^[74] thine adversary quickly, ^[75]and while thou art still with him in the way, give a ransom and free thyself from him; [55] lest thine adversary deliver thee to the judge, ^[76]and the judge deliver thee to the tax-collector, [56] and thou fall into prison.  ^[77]And verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt not go out thence until thou payest the last farthing.

[57, 58] ^[78]Ye have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery:  ^[79]but I now say unto you, that every one that looketh at a woman lusting after her hath forthwith already [59] [Arabic, p. 34] committed adultery with her in his heart.  ^[80]If thy right eye injure thee, put it out and cast it from thee; for it is preferable for thee that one of thy [60] members should perish, and not thy whole body go into the fire of hell.  ^[81]And if thy right hand injure thee, cut it off and cast it from thee; and it is better for thee that [61] one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body fall into Gehenna.  ^[82]It was said that he that putteth away his wife should give her a writing of divorcement:  [62] ^[83]but I say unto you, that every one that putteth away his wife, except for the cause of adultery, hath made it lawful for^[84] her to commit adultery:  and whosoever taketh one that is put away committeth adultery.

Footnotes

1. Matt. xii. 14.
2. Matt. xii. 15.
3. Matt. xii. 16.
4. Lit. lead to him.
5. Matt. xii. 17.
6. Matt. xii. 18.
7. The Arabic word strictly means young man.
8. Or, rested.
9. Matt. xii. 19.
10. Matt. xii. 20.
11. Or, wick.
12. Matt. xii. 21.
13. The Arab. might also mean, And he shall preach (the good tidings) to the peoples in his name (cf. § 22, 47, note).
14. Luke vi. 12.
15. This phrase, in this case adopted from the Syriac, really means, in Arab., morning found him.
16. Luke vi. 13a.
17. Mark iii. 7.
18. It must be remembered that we have here only one ms.  The Arabic words for Galilee and for mountain are very similar.  The words that he might pray have therefore probably made their way here by some error from § 8, 9, above.
19. Mark iii. 8.
20. Mark iii. 9.
21. Mark iii. 10.
22. So (with the Peshitta) by transposing two letters.  The Arabic text as it stands can hardly be translated.  Almost may be simply a corruption of the Arabic word were.
23. The syntax of the Arabic is ambiguous.  The alternative followed above, which seems the most natural, is that which agrees most nearly with the Peshitta.
24. Mark iii. 11.
25. Mark iii. 12.
26. Luke vi. 18.
27. Or, troubled with.
28. Luke vi. 19.
29. This is the meaning of the Arabic word, as it is the primary meaning of the Syriac; but in this work a number of words meaning approach are used (and generally translated) in the sense of touch.  The commonest word so used is that in § 12, 13 (cf. also § 12, 35).
30. Matt. v. 1a.
31. Luke vi. 13b.
32. Luke vi. 14.
33. Luke vi. 15.
34. Luke vi. 16.
35. So Vat. ms., followed by Ciasca (cf. Sin.).  Borg. ms. has he that was betraying or was a traitor (cf. Peshitta).
36. Luke vi. 17a.
37. Mark iii. 14.
38. Luke vi. 20.
39. Matt. v. 2.
40. Matt. v. 3.
41. Matt. v. 4.
42. Matt. v. 5.
43. Matt. v. 6.
44. Matt. v. 7.
45. Matt. v. 8.
46. Matt. v. 9.
47. Matt. v. 10.
48. This word, the ordinary meaning of which is expel, is freely used by our translator in the sense of persecute.
49. Luke vi. 22a.
50. Matt. v. 11b.
51. Matt. v. 12.
52. Luke vi. 24.
53. Luke vi. 25.
54. Luke v. 26.
55. Luke vi. 27.
56. Matt. v. 13.
57. Matt. v. 14.
58. Matt. v. 15.
59. Matt. v. 16.
60. Or, let (cf. § 4, 20, note).
61. Mark iv. 22.
62. Mark iv. 23.
63. Matt. v. 17.
64. Matt. v. 18.
65. Matt. v. 19.
66. Lit. this (man) shall.
67. Matt. v. 20.
68. Matt. v. 21.
69. Matt. v. 22.
70. See § 10, 13, note.
71. Matt. v. 23.
72. Matt. v. 24.
73. Matt. v. 25a.
74. The text is rather uncertain.
75. Luke xii. 58a.
76. Matt. v. 25c.
77. Matt. v. 26.
78. Matt. v. 27.
79. Matt. v. 28.
80. Matt. v. 29.
81. Matt. v. 30.
82. Matt. v. 31.
83. Matt. v. 32.
84. The text is probably corrupt.  Vat. ms. has on margin, i.e., caused her.