Synoptica XXVII - Mt. 5:9: Those Who Pursue Peace

אשרי רודפי שלום שבני אלקים יקראו׃ 9

אשרי רדפי שלום כי־בני אלהים יקראו׃ 9

The meaning is the same in both cases:

"Blessed are the peace-pursuers for they shall be called sons of God."

The first line is Mt. 5:9 in Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew.

The second is the same verse in the nineteenth-century Delitzsch Hebrew New Testament (I've left out the pointing so that the similarity can be better seen.

Why is this significant? Well, these are the ONLY texts I could find that use the phrase רדפי שלום (pursuers of peace). Not the Greek, not the Old Latin, not the Vulgate. not the Peshitta, Not Ezekiel Margoliouth, not Münster, not Du Tillet, not Salkinson. Not any other known text (so far as I know), yet Delitzsch kept this phrase in place through all of his editions, and after his death in 1890 his successor, Dalman, did the same.

Why? Because he (and also Dalman) recognized its significance. Significance that is very great both for the original language and transmission history of the Gospel according to Matthew, and also for the proper evaluation of Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew.

The phrase in question is a reference to Psalm 34, verse 14:

"Depart from evil and do good;
seek peace, and pursue it."

Who are the peace-pursuers? They are the peaceful. Mt. 5:9 says nothing about "peaceMAKERS." That is a mistranslation into Greek, and it appears that all of the Greek mss reflect it (all of those in the apparatus to my NA25 do, at least). When I checked the oldest Old Latin that we have, Codex Bobiensis ("k"), I found "Baeati patifici (=pacifici, the peaceful) quoniam ipsi fili di uocabuntur." After that, I checked the Vulgate, and found "beati pacifici quoniam filii Dei vocabuntur." The spelling in "k" is more archaic, but both are correct (though not literal) translations of the Hebrew, as seen in the Shem-Tob Hebrew Matthew. The Greek, on the other hand, is NOT a correct translation.

Now, I don't think "peacemakers" occurs in the Old Testament (I searched two concordances and didn't find it), but it's perfectly possible to say "make peace" in Biblical Hebrew. In fact, Isaiah did it twice in 27:5. But the original Hebrew of the Gospel of Matthew did not say "peacemakers;" it said "peace-pursuers." How do we know that this is true? Read on.

The verses Mt. 5:8-12 are all connected by catchwords. Catchwords are a mnemonic device often connected with the stage of oral transmission. These verses are part of the oldest kernel of the Gospel of Matthew. Mt. 5:9 (peace-pursuers / peacemakers) is connected by catchwords to both the preceding verse and the following three verses by catchwords. Prominent among these catchwords is the verb רדף (Strong's #7291), which in Hebrew means both "to pursue" and "to persecute." If you mistranslate Mt. 5:9, as was done in the Greek manuscripts, you lose the catchword connection to the following three verses. This is, no doubt, why Delitzsch kept the correct Hebrew, as reflected in the Shem-Tob Hebrew Matthew, even though other texts did not share it. He understood its significance.

I am not surprised that Professor Delitzsch was aware of the Shem-Tob Hebrew Matthew. He was a very scholarly man, and was probably aware of many of the translations into Hebrew that had preceded him. When the British and Foreign Bible Society agreed to publish his work, they insisted that he follow the Textus Receptus (Received Text), not even allowing him to base his translation primarily on the Codex Sinaiticus, as he had done in his first (1877) edition. Even so, he allowed "peace-pursuers" to stay, knowing (for the reasons that I've stated above) that the phrase was correct, and that it was strong evidence for the original language of the Gospel of Matthew. On this, he never backed down.

Text © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler aka Donald Jacobson Traxler.

vlenidohv / Life (Udugi, en, fr, es, pt)

vlenidohv gesvase gvnilanete doyegi
aqua kayugadine
ale adisadadisdase
aqua gasohiine,
aseno nasgi tla yeliquase alitii
aqua nulinigvgvhi didaniyvdone.

ᎥᎴᏂᏙᎲ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎬᏂᎳᏁᏖ ᏙᏰᎩ
ᎠᏆ ᎧᏳᎦᏗᏁ
ᎠᎴ ᎠᏗᏌᏓᏗᏍᏓᏎ
ᎠᏆ ᎦᏐᎯᎢᏁ,
ᎠᏎᏃ ᎾᏍᎩ Ꮭ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ ᎠᎵᏘᎢ
ᎠᏆ ᏄᎵᏂᎬᎬᎯ ᏗᏓᏂᏴᏙᏁ.

Life is knocking my teeth out
and bending my back,
but it cannot escape
my strong embrace.

La vie frappe mes dents
et plie mon dos,
mais elle ne peut pas échapper
ma forte étreinte.

La vida me está sacando los dientes
y dobla mi espalda,
pero no puede escapar
mi fuerte abrazo.

A vida está batendo nos meus dentes
e dobra minhas costas,
mas não pode escapar
meu forte abraço.

Text and image © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler aka Donald Jacobson Traxler, ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.

Pointing the text of Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew - Chapter 5

Last night I was preparing to again take up the task of adding the vowel points to Chapter 5 of Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew. First I had to find the blog post where I left off (11/18/2019). I was reminded by that post that there was a verse missing near the end. I had mislabeled it, but the verse missing is 47. This is very interesting, but I had forgotten just how interesting. There are only two other manuscripts of Matthew that omit this verse, and they are among the most ancient. Neither of them would have been available to Shem-Tob ibn Shaprut in fourteenth-century Spain. Both of them belong to the "Western" (Syro-Latin) text type, which is older than the Alexandrian Greek text-type of our "best" manuscripts. This, I think, is extremely significant.

The two manuscripts that Hebrew Matthew agrees with in omitting verse 47 are "k" (Codex Bobiensis) and Sinaiticus Syriacus (Syr-s). These are, respectively, the oldest Old Latin, and the oldest Old Syriac that we have. Bobiensis is a manuscript of the fourth or fifth century, similar to the type of text that Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, used in his writings in the third century. Further, it has been determined on paleographic grounds to be a copy of a second-century papyrus.

Syr-s, the Sinaitic Palimpsest, is a late fourth-century text that was over-written in the the seventh century with a biographical text of no great importance. It was discovered in the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mt. Sinai, in the late nineteenth century. It took all the technology of the late nineteenth century to transcribe and photograph the text. It is one of only two manuscripts of the Old Syriac text type to have survived, and it is the older of the two by about a century. It, too, would have been unavailable to Shem-Tob ibn Shaprut in the fourteenth century.

It is no coincidence that Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew agrees in this instance with the oldest Old Latin and the oldest Old Syriac. It is based on a Hebrew text that is of a type that is older still. All manuscripts of these very ancient text types were suppressed in favor of the Vulgate for Latin and the Peshitta for Syriac, ca. 400 CE, an effort to bring all scriptural texts into harmony with the Greek texts. This was a watershed event, and it served to obscure the Semitic roots of Christianity. It is a miracle that even one copy of Hebrew Matthew survived.

Text © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler aka Donald Jacobson Traxler.

Matthew Chapter 3 in Udugi (complete)

ᎠᏯᏙᎸᎢ 3     ayadolvi 3

1  nasgi igadi hawina nvlise tsani didawosgi, alitsadodanete inagei tsudiyi hawina,

2  ale hineganete, agatahvsdu, igvnisisgi galvladi ehi ugvwiyuhi gesvase navnige.

3 hiano gesvase nasgi na gesvise kanegvita aniyelvsgv adelohosgi isaya gvdodi, hineganete, kanegv-unoyvgv nasgi vhnai atloyasdanete inagei hawina, advnvisdodu nvnohine unelanvhi vhnai, gatsinosdigu utseli nvnohidine.

4  ale utloyitsani uhise utseli dinuwone gemili-usdiyegu vhnai, ale ganotsi adatlosdine utseli udatlosdv yvwaduwidv; ale utseli hawiya gesvise vledi ale geyatahi wadulisi.

5  nahiyui anagisdise doyegi nasgi didla tsilusalimi, ale nigadv tsudiyi, ale nigadv utanidigadohi tsodani yvwaduwidv,

6  ale gesvise didawosdita atsvyv gvdodi tsodani hawina, gohiyudodanete unatseli asganidine.

7  aseno hilayvi atsvyai gowatise na ugodidi ani-qualisi ale ani-sadusi nvlise utseli didawosgi didla, atsvyai hinegise nasgidv didla, "yo! nihi inadv uwetsidi! gagouyotsvhise nihine ulatisdi utalawosgvne na nvlose?"

8  ayohisdu gasadoyasdi nasgi-igvnisisgi udatanv-agisdine dinadolagi dewadanvdv nasgihai.

9  ale tla adanvtesgu hinegi nihvsadi hawiniditlv, itsula uha equahamine aquatseli edoda nasgihai: igvnisisgi ayv hinegase nihi-didla, na unelanvhi yeliquase nasgi-hia nvyadi nidvlenvda advhisdodi ayotlidine equahami nasgihai.

10  ale noquu galuyasdi gesvase atlodita unasdetlv nahnai tlugvdi vhnai: nasgi-igvnisisgi nigadv tlugv na tla ayohisdase gasadoyasdi osdv udatanvne gesvase ayelasdita eladi ale wadinvdita atsilv nahnai.

11  ayv udohiyui didawosdase nihine ama gvdodi dewadanvdv nasgihai: aseno atsvyai na nvlase ayvulosonv gesvase nulinigvgvhige sinv ayv, ale alasulodi atsvyai vhnai ayv tla gesvase tsugvwalodiya awidvdi: atsvyai didawosdose nihine galvquodiyu adanvdo ale atsilv gvdodi.

12  utseli atanoyo gesvase utseli uwoyeni hawina, ale atsvyai kaliwohi ganvgalvdose utseli ayatanohine, ale gatlisodose utseli utsaledine utseli ugata-adi nahnai; aseno atsvyai agohvsdose soine nalisquadisgvna atsilv gvdodi.

13  nahiyui nvlase tsisa gelili nidvlenvda tsodani didla, tsani didla, gesvi didawosdita atsvyv gvdodi.

14  aseno tsani unvsdodise nasgine, hineganete, ayv uduladase gesvi didawosdita nihi gvdodi, ale nihi nvlase ayv didla?

15  ale tsisa gawohiliyvdanete hinegise nasgi didla, alisgolvdodu nasgine gesvi hia-iyv noquu: igvnisisgi hia-iyv gesvase dinadolagi na itsula akalisoduse nigadv duyugodvne. nahiyui atsvyai alisgolvdodise nasgine.

16  ale tsisa, hilayvi atsvyai gesvise didawosdita, natlegvquo anagisdise galvladi ama doyegi ale, gvniyuquo, galvloidi gesvise asduidita nasgi didla, ale atsvyai gowatise adanvdone unelanvhi vhnai nvlasanete eladi gule-disgonihi tsilv, ale uweyalvtsanete nasgi nahna.

17  ale gvniyuquo kanev-unoyvgv galvladi nidvlenvda, hineganete, hia gesvase aqua adageyudi uwetsi, nasgi ayv gesvase osi-ayelvsga.

1  ᎾᏍᎩ ᎢᎦᏗ ᎭᏫᎾ ᏅᎵᏎ ᏣᏂ ᏗᏓᏬᏍᎩ, ᎠᎵᏣᏙᏓᏁᏖ ᎢᎾᎨᎢ ᏧᏗᏱ ᎭᏫᎾ,

2  ᎠᎴ ᎯᏁᎦᏁᏖ, ᎠᎦᏔᎲᏍᏚ, ᎢᎬᏂᏏᏍᎩ ᎦᎸᎳᏗ ᎡᎯ ᎤᎬᏫᏳᎯ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎾᎥᏂᎨ.

3 ᎯᎠᏃ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎾᏍᎩ Ꮎ ᎨᏒᎢᏎ ᎧᏁᎬᎢᏔ ᎠᏂᏰᎸᏍᎬ ᎠᏕᎶᎰᏍᎩ ᎢᏌᏯ ᎬᏙᏗ, ᎯᏁᎦᏁᏖ, ᎧᏁᎬ-ᎤᏃᏴᎬ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎥᎿᎢ ᎠᏠᏯᏍᏓᏁᏖ ᎢᎾᎨᎢ ᎭᏫᎾ, ᎠᏛᏅᎢᏍᏙᏚ ᏅᏃᎯᏁ ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᎥᎿᎢ, ᎦᏥᏃᏍᏗᎫ ᎤᏤᎵ ᏅᏃᎯᏗᏁ.

4  ᎠᎴ ᎤᏠᏱᏣᏂ ᎤᎯᏎ ᎤᏤᎵ ᏗᏄᏬᏁ ᎨᎻᎵ-ᎤᏍᏗᏰᎫ ᎥᎿᎢ, ᎠᎴ ᎦᏃᏥ ᎠᏓᏠᏍᏗᏁ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎤᏓᏠᏍᏛ ᏴᏩᏚᏫᏛ; ᎠᎴ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎭᏫᏯ ᎨᏒᎢᏎ ᎥᎴᏗ ᎠᎴ ᎨᏯᏔᎯ ᏩᏚᎵᏏ.

5  ᏀᎢᏳᎢ ᎠᎾᎩᏍᏗᏎ ᏙᏰᎩ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏗᏜ ᏥᎷᏌᎵᎻ, ᎠᎴ ᏂᎦᏛ ᏧᏗᏱ, ᎠᎴ ᏂᎦᏛ ᎤᏔᏂᏗᎦᏙᎯ ᏦᏓᏂ ᏴᏩᏚᏫᏛ,

6  ᎠᎴ ᎨᏒᎢᏎ ᏗᏓᏬᏍᏗᏔ ᎠᏨᏴ ᎬᏙᏗ ᏦᏓᏂ ᎭᏫᎾ, ᎪᎯᏳᏙᏓᏁᏖ ᎤᎾᏤᎵ ᎠᏍᎦᏂᏗᏁ.

7  ᎠᏎᏃ ᎯᎳᏴᎢ ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎪᏩᏘᏎ Ꮎ ᎤᎪᏗᏗ ᎠᏂ-ᏆᎵᏏ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏂ-ᏌᏚᏏ ᏅᎵᏎ ᎤᏤᎵ ᏗᏓᏬᏍᎩ ᏗᏜ, ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᏗᏜ, "Ᏺ! ᏂᎯ ᎢᎾᏛ ᎤᏪᏥᏗ! ᎦᎪᎤᏲᏨᎯᏎ ᏂᎯᏁ ᎤᎳᏘᏍᏗ ᎤᏔᎳᏬᏍᎬᏁ Ꮎ ᏅᎶᏎ?"

8  ᎠᏲᎯᏍᏚ ᎦᏌᏙᏯᏍᏗ ᎾᏍᎩ-ᎢᎬᏂᏏᏍᎩ ᎤᏓᏔᏅ-ᎠᎩᏍᏗᏁ ᏗᎾᏙᎳᎩ ᏕᏩᏓᏅᏛ ᎾᏍᎩᎭᎢ.

9  ᎠᎴ Ꮭ ᎠᏓᏅᏖᏍᎫ ᎯᏁᎩ ᏂᎲᏌᏗ ᎭᏫᏂᏗᏢ, ᎢᏧᎳ ᎤᎭ ᎡᏆᎭᎻᏁ ᎠᏆᏤᎵ ᎡᏙᏓ ᎾᏍᎩᎭᎢ: ᎢᎬᏂᏏᏍᎩ ᎠᏴ ᎯᏁᎦᏎ ᏂᎯ-ᏗᏜ, Ꮎ ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ ᎾᏍᎩ-ᎯᎠ ᏅᏯᏗ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ ᎠᏛᎯᏍᏙᏗ ᎠᏲᏟᏗᏁ ᎡᏆᎭᎻ ᎾᏍᎩᎭᎢ.

10  ᎠᎴ ᏃᏊ ᎦᎷᏯᏍᏗ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᏠᏗᏔ ᎤᎾᏍᏕᏢ ᏀᎾᎢ ᏡᎬᏗ ᎥᎿᎢ: ᎾᏍᎩ-ᎢᎬᏂᏏᏍᎩ ᏂᎦᏛ ᏡᎬ Ꮎ Ꮭ ᎠᏲᎯᏍᏓᏎ ᎦᏌᏙᏯᏍᏗ ᎣᏍᏛ ᎤᏓᏔᏅᏁ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᏰᎳᏍᏗᏔ ᎡᎳᏗ ᎠᎴ ᏩᏗᏅᏗᏔ ᎠᏥᎸ ᏀᎾᎢ.

11  ᎠᏴ ᎤᏙᎯᏳᎢ ᏗᏓᏬᏍᏓᏎ ᏂᎯᏁ ᎠᎹ ᎬᏙᏗ ᏕᏩᏓᏅᏛ ᎾᏍᎩᎭᎢ: ᎠᏎᏃ ᎠᏨᏯᎢ Ꮎ ᏅᎳᏎ ᎠᏴᎤᎶᏐᏅ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏄᎵᏂᎬᎬᎯᎨ ᏏᏅ ᎠᏴ, ᎠᎴ ᎠᎳᏑᎶᏗ ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎥᎿᎢ ᎠᏴ Ꮭ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏧᎬᏩᎶᏗᏯ ᎠᏫᏛᏗ: ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᏗᏓᏬᏍᏙᏎ ᏂᎯᏁ ᎦᎸᏉᏗᏳ ᎠᏓᏅᏙ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏥᎸ ᎬᏙᏗ.

12  ᎤᏤᎵ ᎠᏔᏃᏲ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎤᏬᏰᏂ ᎭᏫᎾ, ᎠᎴ ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎧᎵᏬᎯ ᎦᏅᎦᎸᏙᏎ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎠᏯᏔᏃᎯᏁ, ᎠᎴ ᎦᏟᏐᏙᏎ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎤᏣᎴᏗᏁ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎤᎦᏔ-ᎠᏗ ᏀᎾᎢ; ᎠᏎᏃ ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎠᎪᎲᏍᏙᏎ ᏐᎢᏁ ᎾᎵᏍᏆᏗᏍᎬᎾ ᎠᏥᎸ ᎬᏙᏗ.

13  ᏀᎢᏳᎢ ᏅᎳᏎ ᏥᏌ ᎨᎵᎵ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ ᏦᏓᏂ ᏗᏜ, ᏣᏂ ᏗᏜ, ᎨᏒᎢ ᏗᏓᏬᏍᏗᏔ ᎠᏨᏴ ᎬᏙᏗ.

14  ᎠᏎᏃ ᏣᏂ ᎤᏅᏍᏙᏗᏎ ᎾᏍᎩᏁ, ᎯᏁᎦᏁᏖ, ᎠᏴ ᎤᏚᎳᏓᏎ ᎨᏒᎢ ᏗᏓᏬᏍᏗᏔ ᏂᎯ ᎬᏙᏗ, ᎠᎴ ᏂᎯ ᏅᎳᏎ ᎠᏴ ᏗᏜ?

15  ᎠᎴ ᏥᏌ ᎦᏬᎯᎵᏴᏓᏁᏖ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏗᏜ, ᎠᎵᏍᎪᎸᏙᏚ ᎾᏍᎩᏁ ᎨᏒᎢ ᎯᎠ-ᎢᏴ ᏃᏊ: ᎢᎬᏂᏏᏍᎩ ᎯᎠ-ᎢᏴ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏗᎾᏙᎳᎩ Ꮎ ᎢᏧᎳ ᎠᎧᎵᏐᏚᏎ ᏂᎦᏛ ᏚᏳᎪᏛᏁ. ᏀᎢᏳᎢ ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎠᎵᏍᎪᎸᏙᏗᏎ ᎾᏍᎩᏁ.

16  ᎠᎴ ᏥᏌ, ᎯᎳᏴᎢ ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎨᏒᎢᏎ ᏗᏓᏬᏍᏗᏔ, ᎾᏞᎬᏉ ᎠᎾᎩᏍᏗᏎ ᎦᎸᎳᏗ ᎠᎹ ᏙᏰᎩ ᎠᎴ, ᎬᏂᏳᏉ, ᎦᎸᎶᎢᏗ ᎨᏒᎢᏎ ᎠᏍᏚᎢᏗᏔ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏗᏜ, ᎠᎴ ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎪᏩᏘᏎ ᎠᏓᏅᏙᏁ ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᎥᎿᎢ ᏅᎳᏌᏁᏖ ᎡᎳᏗ ᎫᎴ-ᏗᏍᎪᏂᎯ ᏥᎸ, ᎠᎴ ᎤᏪᏯᎸᏣᏁᏖ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏀᎾ.

17  ᎠᎴ ᎬᏂᏳᏉ ᎧᏁᎥ-ᎤᏃᏴᎬ ᎦᎸᎳᏗ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ, ᎯᏁᎦᏁᏖ, ᎯᎠ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᏆ ᎠᏓᎨᏳᏗ ᎤᏪᏥ, ᎾᏍᎩ ᎠᏴ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎣᏏ-ᎠᏰᎸᏍᎦ.

Text and image © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler aka Donald Jacobson Traxler, ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.

Tiyóhali / Lizard (Udugi, en, fr, es, pt)

tiyohali agisdase nvdane utseli gasohii nahna,
nahiyui hagatase wudeligvi didla.
atsvyai asvnasdase nigadv ulogilvne,
atsvyai unvtase na agasgv nvlose,
aseno noquu uwolase
nvdahi nvya nahna.

ᏘᏲᎭᎵ ᎠᎩᏍᏓᏎ ᏅᏓᏁ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎦᏐᎯᎢ ᎾᎿ,
ᏀᎢᏳᎢ ᎭᎦᏔᏎ ᏭᏕᎵᎬᎢ ᏗᏜ.
ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎠᏒᎾᏍᏓᏎ ᏂᎦᏛ ᎤᎶᎩᎸᏁ,
ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎤᏅᏔᏎ Ꮎ ᎠᎦᏍᎬ ᏅᎶᏎ,
ᎠᏎᏃ ᏃᏊ ᎤᏬᎳᏎ
ᏅᏓᎯ ᏅᏯ ᎾᎿ.

Lizard receives the sun on his back,
while looking to the west.
He feels every cloud,
he knows that rain will come,
but now he sits
on a sunny stone.

Le lézard reçoit le soleil sur son dos,
tout en regardant vers l'ouest.
Il sent chaque nuage,
il sait que la pluie viendra,
mais maintenant il est assis
sur une pierre ensoleillée.

Lagarto recibe el sol en su espalda,
mientras mira hacia el oeste.
Siente cada nube,
él sabe que vendrá la lluvia,
pero ahora está sentado
en una piedra soleada.

Lagarto recebe o sol nas costas,
enquanto olha para o oeste.
Ele sente cada nuvem,
ele sabe que a chuva virá,
mas agora ele está sentado
em uma pedra ensolarada.

Text and image © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler aka Donald Jacobson Traxler, ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.

Synoptica XXVI - Mt. 3:11-12 and Hebrew Matthew

We are familiar with these verses (Mt. 3:11-12), about John the Baptist, in the texts of the Greek tradition. Substantial light is thrown on them by a comparison with Shem-Tob's Hebrew Matthew, which I offer here in George Howard's translation:

11  John answered all of them: Behold I truly baptize you in the days of repentance, but another comes mightier than I, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to unfasten. He will baptize you with the fire of the Holy Spirit.

12  His winnowing fork is in his hand to fan his threshing floor and he will gather the grain into his granary and the straw (he will burn with fire which is not quenched).

First of all, the phrase "John answered all of them" is, in the Greek tradition, only found in Luke 3:16, and not in any Greek manuscript of Matthew that we have. According to my Layered Matthew Hypothesis, Luke got it from an earlier edition of Matthew, from which it was later edited out as superfluous. Similarly, the word "Behold" has been edited out of both Matthew and Luke in the Greek tradition, as an unnecessary Semitic artifact. The word "truly" only appears in Hebrew Matthew, and appears to have been replaced by the Greek word "μεν," probably on stylistic grounds, in the other tradition.

The phrase "in the days" is another story. In the days of repentance, בימי, is a copyist's error made in copying from another Hebrew ms. It should be במי, where "water" is in the construct state, which tells us that it belongs in a phrase with something else, in this case "repentance," in "water of repentance," a good description of baptismal water. Note that the only difference between the two words is one Yod, the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This is an important clue, though, as it shows us that "repentance" does, indeed, belong in the verse. This is important, because the word "repentance" does not appear in the parallel verse in Mark at all, and shows up only in some "Western" texts of Luke. It is now generally (if grudgingly) admitted that the "Western" (Syro-Latin) textual tradition is older than the Greek textual tradition. Examples of the "Western" text type are not very numerous, because it was suppressed in favor of the Vulgate and Peshitta, which are both harmonized with the Greek textual type.

The Hebrew text clears up another mystery for us: Why is Matthew alone in saying "whose sandals I am not worthy to carry, while Luke has "the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie," and Mark is similar to Luke?" The cause of this is a translation variant when translating Matthew from Hebrew to Greek, specifically the similarity in appearance between the words התיר (unfasten) and הסיע (carry). This, of course, is further evidence that Matthew was originally written in Hebrew, not Greek. Also since Hebrew Matthew includes "thong/lace," we know that "unfasten" is correct, not "carry." The translation error in Greek Matthew was so pervasive, though, that none of the Greek manuscripts have the right verb.

Finally, the last part of Mt. 3:11 agrees verbatim with the parallel in Luke, "he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." This is not surprising, since the following verse also agrees verbatim in Matthew and Luke, This is part of the abundant evidence for literary dependence between Matthew and Luke. They could not have gotten Mt. 3:12 || Lk 3:17 from Mark, who does not even have it. Nor does Mark mention fire. But fire is logically necessary for the contrast with water, so has a good claim to being there originally. But what does "he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" even mean? The difficulty is cleared up by Hebrew Matthew, which says "he will baptize you with the fire of the Holy Spirit.

 

Text © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler aka Donald Jacobson Traxler.

My Nudity Keeps Me Sane (en, fr, es, pt, Udugi)

My nudity keeps me sane.

Ma nudité me garde sain d'esprit.

Mi desnudez me mantiene cuerdo.

Minha nudez me mantém são.

aqua uyelvhetso adasdelvdase aqua osi-udanvtedine.

ᎠᏆ ᎤᏰᎸᎮᏦ ᎠᏓᏍᏕᎸᏓᏎ ᎠᏆ ᎣᏏ-ᎤᏓᏅᏖᏗᏁ.

Text and image © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler aka Donald Jacobson Traxler, ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.