Saying 94: Knock and It Will Be Opened
Jesus [said], "Whoever looks will find, [and whoever knocks], it will be opened for them."
tsisa hinegise, "nasgiquo-yigi ayasdase awadvdose, ale nasgiquo-yigi agvnihase, nasgi gesvose asduidita nasgidv nasgihai."
ᏥᏌ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ, "ᎾᏍᎩᏉ-ᏱᎩ ᎠᏯᏍᏓᏎ ᎠᏩᏛᏙᏎ, ᎠᎴ ᎾᏍᎩᏉ-ᏱᎩ ᎠᎬᏂᎭᏎ, ᎾᏍᎩ ᎨᏒᎣᏎ ᎠᏍᏚᎢᏗᏔ ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᎾᏍᎩᎭᎢ."
Saying 93: Don't Throw Pearls to Pigs
"Don't give what's holy to the dogs, or else it might be thrown on the manure pile. Don't throw pearls to the pigs, or else they might […]"
"tla adanedu na gesvase galvquodiyu gili didla, alenasgi gesvu wadinvdita uyo hawina. tla wadinvdu dagvnadine siquadi didla, alenasgi nasgidv lasdaedu nasgidvne."
"Ꮭ ᎠᏓᏁᏚ Ꮎ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎦᎸᏉᏗᏳ ᎩᎵ ᏗᏜ, ᎠᎴᎾᏍᎩ ᎨᏒᎤ ᏩᏗᏅᏗᏔ ᎤᏲ ᎭᏫᎾ. Ꮭ ᏩᏗᏅᏚ ᏓᎬᎾᏗᏁ ᏏᏆᏗ ᏗᏜ, ᎠᎴᎾᏍᎩ ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᎳᏍᏓᎡᏚ ᎾᏍᎩᏛᏁ."
Saying 92: Look and Find
Jesus said, "Look and you'll find. I didn't answer your questions before. Now I want to give you answers, but you aren't looking for them."
Tsisa hinegise, "ayasdu ale nihi awadvdose. aya tla gawohiliyvdise nihi advdvhvsgidine udalulv. noquu aya aduladase adanedi nihi didla wohiliyvsgvdine, aseno nihi tla ayasdase nasgidvne."
ᏥᏌ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ, "ᎠᏯᏍᏚ ᎠᎴ ᏂᎯ ᎠᏩᏛᏙᏎ. ᎠᏯ Ꮭ ᎦᏬᎯᎵᏴᏗᏎ ᏂᎯ ᎠᏛᏛᎲᏍᎩᏗᏁ ᎤᏓᎷᎸ. ᏃᏊ ᎠᏯ ᎠᏚᎳᏓᏎ ᎠᏓᏁᏗ ᏂᎯ ᏗᏜ ᏬᎯᎵᏴᏍᎬᏗᏁ, ᎠᏎᏃ ᏂᎯ Ꮭ ᎠᏯᏍᏓᏎ ᎾᏍᎩᏛᏁ."
Saying 91: Reading the Signs
They said to him, "Tell us who you are so that we may trust you."
He said to them, "You read the face of the sky and the earth, but you don't know the one right in front of you, and you don't know how to read the present moment."
nasgidv kanohedise atsvyv didla, "kanohedu itsulv kagoi nihi gesvase, hia-iyv itsula yelquase howa-ayelvdi nihine." atsvyai kanohedise nasgidv didla, "nihi goliyase ikadvne galvloi vhnai ale elohi vhnai, aseno nihi tla unvtase saquone nihi igvyiditlv, ale nihi tla gata goliyi hia iyuquu.
ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᎧᏃᎮᏗᏎ ᎠᏨᏴ ᏗᏜ, "ᎧᏃᎮᏚ ᎢᏧᎸ ᎧᎪᎢ ᏂᎯ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ, ᎯᎠ-ᎢᏴ ᎢᏧᎳ ᏰlᏆᏎ ᎰᏩ-ᎠᏰᎸᏗ ᏂᎯᏁ."
ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎧᏃᎮᏗᏎ ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᏗᏜ, "ᏂᎯ ᎪᎵᏯᏎ ᎢᎧᏛᏁ ᎦᎸᎶᎢ ᎥᎿᎢ ᎠᎴ ᎡᎶᎯ ᎥᎿᎢ, ᎠᏎᏃ ᏂᎯ Ꮭ ᎤᏅᏔᏎ ᏌᏉᏁ ᏂᎯ ᎢᎬᏱᏗᏢ, ᎠᎴ ᏂᎯ Ꮭ ᎦᏔ ᎪᎵᏱ ᎯᎠ ᎢᏳᏊ.
Saying 90: Jesus' Yoke is Easy
Jesus said, "Come to me, because my yoke is easy and my requirements are light. You'll be refreshed."
tsisa hinegise, "nvlu ayv didla, igvnisisgi aqua digalvwisdano gesvase ahida ale aqua kanesdi-iyadvnedodi tla gesvase gagedv. nihi awadvdose atsawesolvsdone.
ᏥᏌ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ, "ᏅᎷ ᎠᏴ ᏗᏜ, ᎢᎬᏂᏏᏍᎩ ᎠᏆ ᏗᎦᎸᏫᏍᏓᏃ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᎯᏓ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏆ ᎧᏁᏍᏗ-ᎢᏯᏛᏁᏙᏗ Ꮭ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎦᎨᏛ. ᏂᎯ ᎠᏩᏛᏙᏎ ᎠᏣᏪᏐᎸᏍᏙᏁ.
On this date sixty-one years ago, June 27, 1963, I arrived in San Francisco. I had left my native San Diego, thinking to never return (except perhaps for visits). We drove all night, my friend Leroy Culver (whose car it was), Pat(ricia) Maddock, a young woman whose name I don't remember((I'll call her "Suzanne") but who worked after school at the San Diego Public Library, "Emil," a friend of my friend Dan, Pat Rusconi, who rested her head on my sweatshirted shoulder most of the night, and myself. All except Emil, who was from DEEtroit, had been students together at SDCC (San Diego City College, the old, downtown campus).
We arrived at about 6 am, and went to the top of Telegraph Hill to have a look. To me, what we saw was astoundingly beautiful. I was totally blown away on that sunny, cold morning,, as I looked at the piers on the Embarcadero, Alcatraz, Angel Island, and all the rest of it. I remember saying to myself, "I'm never going back." And so it was, for a while. But life has a way of changing any plans that you make.
Copyright © 2024 by Donald C. Traxler.
Saying 89: Inside and Outside
Jesus said, "Why do you wash the outside of the cup? Don't you know that whoever created the inside created the outside too?"
tsisa adadvdodise, "gadono nihi agvsquodase doyehine ganuhilodi vhnai? nihi tla unvtase na nasgiquo-yigi gotlvdise hawinine gotlvdise doyehine nasquo?"
ᏥᏌ ᎠᏓᏛᏙᏗᏎ, "ᎦᏙᏃ ᏂᎯ ᎠᎬᏍᏉᏓᏎ ᏙᏰᎯᏁ ᎦᏄᎯᎶᏗ ᎥᎿᎢ? ᏂᎯ Ꮭ ᎤᏅᏔᏎ Ꮎ ᎾᏍᎩᏉ-ᏱᎩ ᎪᏢᏗᏎ ᎭᏫᏂᏁ ᎪᏢᏗᏎ ᏙᏰᎯᏁ ᎾᏍᏉ?"
Saying 88: Angels and Prophets
Jesus said, "The angels and the prophets will come to you and give you what belongs to you. You'll give them what you have and ask yourselves, 'When will they come and take what is theirs?'"
tsisa hinegise, "anidawehidi ale adelohosgidi nvlose nihi didla ale adanedose nihi didla na gesvase nihi. nihi adanedose na nihi uhase ale nihi adadvdodose nihvsv, 'hilayvi nasgidv nvlose ale agisdi na gesvase unatseli?'"
ᏥᏌ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ, "ᎠᏂᏓᏪᎯᏗ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏕᎶᎰᏍᎩᏗ ᏅᎶᏎ ᏂᎯ ᏗᏜ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏓᏁᏙᏎ ᏂᎯ ᏗᏜ Ꮎ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏂᎯ. ᏂᎯ ᎠᏓᏁᏙᏎ Ꮎ ᏂᎯ ᎤᎭᏎ ᎠᎴ ᏂᎯ ᎠᏓᏛᏙᏙᏎ ᏂᎲᏒ, 'ᎯᎳᏴᎢ ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᏅᎶᏎ ᎠᎴ ᎠᎩᏍᏗ Ꮎ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᎾᏤᎵ?'"
Saying 87: Body and Soul
Jesus said, "How miserable is the body that depends on a body, and how miserable is the soul that depends on both."
tsisa hinegise, "utsati agiliya uhase ayelv na alisgasdodase saquo ayelv nahna, ale utsati agiliya uhase adanvdo na alisgasdodase igvla nahna.
ᏥᏌ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ, "ᎤᏣᏘ ᎠᎩᎵᏯ ᎤᎭᏎ ᎠᏰᎸ Ꮎ ᎠᎵᏍᎦᏍᏙᏓᏎ ᏌᏉ ᎠᏰᎸ ᎾᎿ, ᎠᎴ ᎤᏣᏘ ᎠᎩᎵᏯ ᎤᎭᏎ ᎠᏓᏅᏙ Ꮎ ᎠᎵᏍᎦᏍᏙᏓᏎ ᎢᎬᎳ ᎾᎿ.
Saying 86: Foxes and Birds
Jesus said, "[The foxes have dens] and the birds have nests, but the Son of Humanity has nowhere to lay his head and rest."
tsisa hinegise, "tsuladi uhase atalesvdine ale tsisquadi uhase unesgilvsvdine, aseno uwetsi yvwi-anehv vhnai tla uhase hananine atlodi utseli asgoline ale atsawesolvsdi."
ᏥᏌ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ, "ᏧᎳᏗ ᎤᎭᏎ ᎠᏔᎴᏒᏗᏁ ᎠᎴ ᏥᏍᏆᏗ ᎤᎭᏎ ᎤᏁᏍᎩᎸᏒᏗᏁ, ᎠᏎᏃ ᎤᏪᏥ ᏴᏫ-ᎠᏁᎲ ᎥᎿᎢ Ꮭ ᎤᎭᏎ ᎭᎾᏂᏁ ᎠᏠᏗ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎠᏍᎪᎵᏁ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏣᏪᏐᎸᏍᏗ."
Saying 85: Adam Wasn't Worthy
Jesus said, "Adam came into being from a great power and great wealth, but he didn't become worthy of you. If he had been worthy, [he wouldn't have tasted] death."
tsisa hinegise, "adawi didolagise gesvi equa ulanigvgv nidvlenvda ale equa nuwehnavi nidvlenvda, aseno atsvyai tla didolagise tsugvwalodiya nihi vhnai. iyuno atsvyai gesvise tsugvwalodiya, atsvyai tla nusdv-agisdise ayohuhisdine."
ᏥᏌ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ, "ᎠᏓᏫ ᏗᏙᎳᎩᏎ ᎨᏒᎢ ᎡᏆ ᎤᎳᏂᎬᎬ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ ᎠᎴ ᎡᏆ ᏄᏪᎿᎥᎢ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ, ᎠᏎᏃ ᎠᏨᏯᎢ Ꮭ ᏗᏙᎳᎩᏎ ᏧᎬᏩᎶᏗᏯ ᏂᎯ ᎥᎿᎢ. ᎢᏳᏃ ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎨᏒᎢᏎ ᏧᎬᏩᎶᏗᏯ, ᎠᏨᏯᎢ Ꮭ ᏄᏍᏛ-ᎠᎩᏍᏗᏎ ᎠᏲᎱᎯᏍᏗᏁ."
Note: Sayings 84 and 85 are connected by the linking phrase "came into being." There are hundreds of such catchwords and catch-phrases in GTh. They are usually considered to be a characteristic of the stage of orality. Nevertheless, DeConick considers Saying 85 to be an accretion.
Saying 84: Our Previous Images
Jesus said, "When you see your likeness, you rejoice. But when you see your images that came into being before you did – which don't die, and aren't revealed – how much you'll have to bear!"
tsisa hinegise, "hilayvi nihi gowatase nihi nasginaine, nihi alihelisdase. aseno hilayvi nihi gowatose nihi nasginaidine na didolagise udalulv nihi didolagise, hilago utsati nihi uduladose alisoqualvdi!
ᏥᏌ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ, "ᎯᎳᏴᎢ ᏂᎯ ᎪᏩᏔᏎ ᏂᎯ ᎾᏍᎩᎾᎢᏁ, ᏂᎯ ᎠᎵᎮᎵᏍᏓᏎ. ᎠᏎᏃ ᎯᎳᏴᎢ ᏂᎯ ᎪᏩtᎣᏎ ᏂᎯ ᎾᏍᎩᎾᎢᏗᏁ Ꮎ ᏗᏙᎳᎩᏎ ᎤᏓᎷᎸ ᏂᎯ ᏗᏙᎳᎩᏎ, ᎯᎳᎪ ᎤᏣᏘ ᏂᎯ ᎤᏚᎳᏙᏎ ᎠᎵᏐᏆᎸᏗ!
Saying 83: Light and Images
Jesus said, "Images are revealed to people, but the light within them is hidden in the image of the Father's light. He'll be revealed, but his image will be hidden by his light."
tsisa hinegise, "nasgiyaidi gesvase agadudesdita yvwi didla, aseno ulvsadv nasgidv hawini gesvase adisgalodita nasgiyai hawina ulvsadv edoda vhnai. nasgi gesvose agadudesdita, aseno utseli nasgiyai gesvose adisgalodita utseli ulvsadv gvdodi."
ᏥᏌ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ, "ᎾᏍᎩᏯᎢᏗ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᎦᏚᏕᏍᏗᏔ ᏴᏫ ᏗᏜ, ᎠᏎᏃ ᎤᎸᏌᏛ ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᎭᏫᏂ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᏗᏍᎦᎶᏗᏔ ᎾᏍᎩᏯᎢ ᎭᏫᎾ ᎤᎸᏌᏛ ᎡᏙᏓ ᎥᎿᎢ. ᎾᏍᎩ ᎨᏒᎣᏎ ᎠᎦᏚᏕᏍᏗᏔ, ᎠᏎᏃ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎾᏍᎩᏯᎢ ᎨᏒᎣᏎ ᎠᏗᏍᎦᎶᏗᏔ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎤᎸᏌᏛ ᎬᏙᏗ."
Saying 81: Riches and Renunciation (1)
Jesus said, "Whoever has become rich should become a ruler, and whoever has power should renounce it."
tsisa hinegise, "nasgiquo-yigi didolagise uwenai aseuse didolagi asdawadvsdosgi, ale nasgiquo-yigi uhase ulanigvgvne, aseuse diyohisdi nasgine.
ᏥᏌ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ, "ᎾᏍᎩᏉ-ᏱᎩ ᏗᏙᎳᎩᏎ ᎤᏪᎾᎢ ᎠᏎᎤᏎ ᏗᏙᎳᎩ ᎠᏍᏓᏩᏛᏍᏙᏍᎩ, ᎠᎴ ᎾᏍᎩᏉ-ᏱᎩ ᎤᎭᏎ ᎤᎳᏂᎬᎬᏁ, ᎠᏎᎤᏎ ᏗᏲᎯᏍᏗ ᎾᏍᎩᏁ.
Saying 82: Jesus and Fire (2)
Jesus said, "Whoever is near me is near the fire, and whoever is far from me is far from the kingdom."
tsisa hinegise, "nasgiquo-yigi gesvase navnige ayv gesvase navnige atsilv, ale nasgiquo-yigi gwsvase inv ayv nidvblenvda gesvase inv ugvwiyuhiyi nidvlenvda."
ᏥᏌ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ, "ᎾᏍᎩᏉ-ᏱᎩ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎾᎥᏂᎨ ᎠᏴ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎾᎥᏂᎨ ᎠᏥᎸ, ᎠᎴ ᎾᏍᎩᏉ-ᏱᎩ gwᏒᎠᏎ ᎢᏅ ᎠᏴ ᏂᏛbᎴᏅᏓ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎢᏅ ᎤᎬᏫᏳᎯᏱ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ."
Today I walked on the beach without you,
for the first time in the four months since you passed,
and I found it very hard.
So many beaches, so many memories,
beaches on four continents,
beaches all over the world,
for forty-five years.
It's not that I have no one to walk with,
that isn't true.
In fact, you may have sent me someone,
but that someone
isn't you.
June 7, 2024
At the risk of over-simplifying, I would like to pass along some things I have learned about the Gospel of Thomas (GTh) mainly from April D. DeConick in THE ORIGINAL GOSPEL OF THOMAS IN TRANSLATION (op. cit). She is a brilliant scholar and is, in my opinion, the leader when it comes to this subject.
On pages 19-21 of the above-mentioned book, De Conick does more to clarify what GTh is and where it came from than anyone else has. There is, first of all, the all-important distinction between the Kernel of GTh (which she dates to the mid-first century), and it's accretions. Then, there is the clear evidence for an Aramaic substratum. Most striking of all, to me at least, is the close relationship that she points to between GTh and the Pseudo-Clementine literature.
On Page 20 we read the following:
"This evidence leads me to wonder how sceptical as scholars we should remain regarding Clement's claim found in the Pseudo-Clementines that he was hired by James to follow Peter, listen to his speeched about Jesus' teachings, and record them in books for the Jerusalem mission."
The import of this is that GTh represents pre-Synoptic material that was in Aramaic in its oral stage, and was then translated into Greek and from Greek into Coptic. As DeConick points out, different translation choices were often made, with many of the translation variants being well explainable by the Aramaic substratum.
Clearly, the Gospel of Thomas is an extremely important document.
Saying 79: Listening to the Message
A woman in the crowd said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that nourished you."
He said to [her], "Blessed are those who have listened to the message of the Father and kept it, because there will be days when you'll say, 'Blessed is the womb that didn't conceive and the breasts that haven't given milk.'"
ageya unadatlisahv hawina kanohedise atsvyv didla, "vdadilvquotanv gesvase ayelv na udenvise nihine, ale ganetsidi na adadelasdise nihine." atsvyai kanohedise nasgi didla, "vdadilvquotanv gasvase nasgi na hadvdasdise kanetsvne edoda vhnai ale asquanigododise nasgine, igvnisisgi gesvose igadi hilayvi nihi hinegose 'vdadilvquotanv ayelv na tla udevise, ale ganetsidi na tla adanedise unvdine."
ᎠᎨᏯ ᎤᎾᏓᏟᏌᎲ ᎭᏫᎾ ᎧᏃᎮᏗᏎ ᎠᏨᏴ ᏗᏜ, "ᎥᏓᏗᎸᏉᏔᏅ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᏰᎸ Ꮎ ᎤᏕᏅᎢᏎ ᏂᎯᏁ, ᎠᎴ ᎦᏁᏥᏗ Ꮎ ᎠᏓᏕᎳᏍᏗᏎ ᏂᎯᏁ." ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎧᏃᎮᏗᏎ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏗᏜ, "ᎥᏓᏗᎸᏉᏔᏅ ᎦᏒᎠᏎ ᎾᏍᎩ Ꮎ ᎭᏛᏓᏍᏗᏎ ᎧᏁᏨᏁ ᎡᏙᏓ ᎥᎿᎢ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏍᏆᏂᎪᏙᏗᏎ ᎾᏍᎩᏁ, ᎢᎬᏂᏏᏍᎩ ᎨᏒᎣᏎ ᎢᎦᏗ ᎯᎳᏴᎢ ᏂᎯ ᎯᏁᎪᏎ 'ᎥᏓᏗᎸᏉᏔᏅ ᎠᏰᎸ Ꮎ Ꮭ ᎤᏕᎥᎢᏎ, ᎠᎴ ᎦᏁᏥᏗ Ꮎ Ꮭ ᎠᏓᏁᏗᏎ ᎤᏅᏗᏁ."
Saying 80: The World is a Body
Jesus said, "Whoever has known the world has found the body; but whoever has found the body, of them the world isn't worthy."
tsisa hinegise, "nasgiquo-yigi onadvise equa-elohine awadvdise ayelvne; aseno nasgiquo-yigi awadvdise ayelvne, atsvyv vhnai equa-elohi tla gesvase tsugvwalodiya."
ᏥᏌ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ, "ᎾᏍᎩᏉ-ᏱᎩ ᎣᎾᏛᎢᏎ ᎡᏆ-ᎡᎶᎯᏁ ᎠᏩᏛᏗᏎ ᎠᏰᎸᏁ; ᎠᏎᏃ ᎾᏍᎩᏉ-ᏱᎩ ᎠᏩᏛᏗᏎ ᎠᏰᎸᏁ, ᎠᏨᏴ ᎥᎿᎢ ᎡᏆ-ᎡᎶᎯ Ꮭ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏧᎬᏩᎶᏗᏯ."
This Saying, along with its doublet, Saying 56, is extremely problematic. April D. DeConick has an excellent discussion of these Sayings on pp. 192-3 and 244-5 of THE ORIGINAL GOSPEL OF THOMAS IN TRANSLATION (op. cit.). In her opinion, the Coptic form of these two Sayings is pretty much nonsense, and they reflect a Semitic substratum which can explain several mistranslations. Finally, she offers an alternative interpretation: 'Whoever has come to know the world <<has mastered the body>>. The world does not deserve the person who <<has mastered the body>>. DeConick considers these two sayings to be accretions reflecting both encratism and hermetism, and dating to the latter half of the first century. Her references concerning the Semitic substratum are themselves worthy of study.
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