Aging Project LXXII

 

Text and image Copyright © 2024 by Donald C. Traxler.

Notes on GTh 54

 

As some of you know, I have a special interest in the Beatitudes, which provide a glimpse into the development of the Synoptic tradition. GTh Saying 54 says:

Blessed are the poor, for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Now, "Kingdom of Heaven" is Matthaean language,  Luke says, "Kingdom of God." But wait, canonical (Greek) Matthew says "poor in spirit." Where is the "in spirit?" Where did "in spirit" come from? When?

Can we trace this development in the manuscripts? Nope, we can't. The version in canonical (Greek) Matthew is simply there, full-blown, with "in spirit."

Why does the Gospel of Thomas, which here uses Matthaean language, not include "in spirit?" Where did this GTh version come from? If only we had an earlier version of Matthew than the canonical one!

Now I am going to make a controversial statement, fully aware of the controversy and not caring: We do have an earlier version of Matthew. It is the Hebrew Matthew documented by Professor George Howard in his 1987 book, The Gospel of Matthew according to a Primitive Hebrew Text (Mercer University Press, Macon, GA), and in the book's second edition, 1995, simply titled Hebrew Gospel of Matthew, also published by Mercer University Press. If I give any page references to these books, they will be to the 1995 edition.

On Page 17 of that 1995 edition, we find, in Professor Howard's excellent translation, a less-full list of Beatitudes than we are used to, and it does not include "the poor" at all, with or without "in spirit!"

Sowhere did GTh 54 come from?

April D. DeConick considers thea kernel saying in GTh, traceable to primary orality.

Beyond this we can say that both versions of the Beatitudes (Matthew's and Luke's, as well as the oral tradition, grow out of the messianic statement in Isaiah 61:1-2, which mentions the poor, but does not say anything about "in spirit," which phrase seems to be completely bogus editorializing.

This Saying appears to be quite early, and probably not dependent on canonical Synoptic sources.

Text Copyright © 2024 by Donald C. Traxler.

 

Gospel of Thomas 54 in English and Udugi ꭴꮪꭹ

 Saying 54: Those Who Are Poor

Jesus said, "Blessed are those who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven."

tsisa hinegise, "adadoligita gesvase udasdayohisedihidi, yeno nihitsatsali gesvase ugvwiyuhiyi galvladi vhnai."

ᏥᏌ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ, "ᎠᏓᏙᎵᎩᏔ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᏓᏍᏓᏲᎯᏎᏗᎯᏗ, ᏰᏃ ᏂᎯᏣᏣᎵ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᎬᏫᏳᎯᏱ ᎦᎸᎳᏗ ᎥᎿᎢ."

Gospel of Thomas 53 in English and Udugi ꭴꮪꭹ

 

Saying 53: True Circumcision

His disciples said to him, "Is circumcision useful, or not?"

He said to them, "If it were useful, parents would have children who are born circumcised. But the true circumcision in spirit has become profitable in every way."

utseli adasdawadidohidi adadvdodise nasgi didla, "ahusdesdi gesvase ulisgeda ale tla?" "iyuno nasgi gesvise ulisgeda," atsvyai kanohedise nasgidv didla, "adagayvligedi uhuse niyotlidine udenita na galohisdi. Aseno udohiyu ahusdesdi adanvdo hawina gesvase adotlvsgi nigadv galohisdi hawina."

ᎤᏤᎵ ᎠᏓᏍᏓᏩᏗᏙᎯᏗ ᎠᏓᏛᏙᏗᏎ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏗᏜ, "ᎠᎱᏍᏕᏍᏗ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᎵᏍᎨᏓ ᎠᎴ Ꮭ?" "ᎢᏳᏃ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎨᏒᎢᏎ ᎤᎵᏍᎨᏓ," ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎧᏃᎮᏗᏎ ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᏗᏜ, "ᎠᏓᎦᏴᎵᎨᏗ ᎤᎱᏎ ᏂᏲᏟᏗᏁ ᎤᏕᏂᏔ Ꮎ ᎦᎶᎯᏍᏗ. ᎠᏎᏃ ᎤᏙᎯᏳ ᎠᎱᏍᏕᏍᏗ ᎠᏓᏅᏙ ᎭᏫᎾ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᏙᏢᏍᎩ ᏂᎦᏛ ᎦᎶᎯᏍᏗ ᎭᏫᎾ."

Gospel of Thomas 52 in English and Udugi ꭴꮪꭹ

 

Saying 52: Twenty-Four Prophets

His disciples said to him, "Twenty-four prophets have spoken in Israel, and they all spoke of you."

He said to them, "You've ignored the Living One right in front of you, and you've talked about those who are dead."

"talisgohi-nvgi adelohosgidi kanegise yislaele hawina," utseli adasdawadidohidi kanegise nasgi didla, "ale nasgidv nigadv kanegise nihi aniyelvsgv." "nihi nigesvnise saquu alenidohv nihi-igvyiditlv," athsvyai kanegise nasgidv didla, "ale nihi kanegise uyohusvdi aniyelvsgv."

"ᏔᎵᏍᎪᎯ-ᏅᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᎰᏍᎩᏗ ᎧᏁᎩᏎ ᏱᏍᎳᎡᎴ ᎭᏫᎾ," ᎤᏤᎵ ᎠᏓᏍᏓᏩᏗᏙᎯᏗ ᎧᏁᎩᏎ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏗᏜ, "ᎠᎴ ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᏂᎦᏛ ᎧᏁᎩᏎ ᏂᎯ ᎠᏂᏰᎸᏍᎬ." "ᏂᎯ ᏂᎨᏒᏂᏎ ᏌᏊ ᎠᎴᏂᏙᎲ ᏂᎯ-ᎢᎬᏱᏗᏢ," ᎠthᏒᏯᎢ ᎧᏁᎩᏎ ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᏗᏜ, "ᎠᎴ ᏂᎯ ᎧᏁᎩᏎ ᎤᏲᎱᏒᏗ ᎠᏂᏰᎸᏍᎬ." 

Gospel of Thomas 51 in English and Udugi

 

Saying 51: The New World

His disciples said to him, "When will the dead have rest, and when will the new world come?"

He said to them, "What you're looking for has already come, but you don't know it."

utseli adasdawadidohidi hinegise nasgi didla, "hilayvi uyohusvdi uhose atsawesolvsdone, ale hilayvi nvlose itse equa-elohi?" tsisa hinegise, "gado-usdi nihi ayasdase gayula nvlise, aseno nihi tla unvtase."

ᎤᏤᎵ ᎠᏓᏍᏓᏩᏗᏙᎯᏗ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏗᏜ, "ᎯᎳᏴᎢ ᎤᏲᎱᏒᏗ ᎤᎰᏎ ᎠᏣᏪᏐᎸᏍᏙᏁ, ᎠᎴ ᎯᎳᏴᎢ ᏅᎶᏎ ᎢᏤ ᎡᏆ-ᎡᎶᎯ?" ᏥᏌ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ, "ᎦᏙ-ᎤᏍᏗ ᏂᎯ ᎠᏯᏍᏓᏎ ᎦᏳᎳ ᏅᎵᏎ, ᎠᏎᏃ ᏂᎯ Ꮭ ᎤᏅᏔᏎ."

Gospel of Thomas 50 in English and Udugi ꭴꮪꭹ

 

Saying 50: Our Origin and Identity

Jesus said, "If they ask you, 'Where do you come from?' tell them, 'We've come from the light, the place where light came into being by itself, [established] itself, and appeared in their image.'

"If they ask you, 'Is it you?' then say, 'We are its children, and we're chosen by our living Father.'

"If they ask you, 'What's the sign of your Father in you?' then say, 'It's movement and rest.'"

tsisa hinegise, "iyuno nasgidv adadvdodase nihi didla 'hatlv nihi nvlase nidvlenvda?' kanohedu nasgidv didla, 'itsula nvlase ulvsada nidvlenvda, hatlv ulvsada gesvise udenvta uwasaquu vhnai. nasgi gadogise ale agadudesdise nasgine unatseli nasgiyai hawina.' iyuno nasgidv adadvdodase nihi didla, 'nasgi gesvase nihi?' nahiyui hinegu, 'itsula gesvase niyotlidi nasgi vhnai, ale itsula gesvase asuyesdita aquatseli alenidohv edoda gvdodi.' iyuno nasgidv adadvdodase nihi didla, 'gado-usdi gowelodo nihi edoda vhnai nihi hawina?' nahiyui hinegu, 'nasgi gesvase adanvsido ale atsawesolvsdo.'"

ᏥᏌ ᎯᏁᎩᏎ, "ᎢᏳᏃ ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᎠᏓᏛᏙᏓᏎ ᏂᎯ ᏗᏜ 'ᎭᏢ ᏂᎯ ᏅᎳᏎ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ?' ᎧᏃᎮᏚ ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᏗᏜ, 'ᎢᏧᎳ ᏅᎳᏎ ᎤᎸᏌᏓ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ, ᎭᏢ ᎤᎸᏌᏓ ᎨᏒᎢᏎ ᎤᏕᏅᏔ ᎤᏩᏌᏊ ᎥᎿᎢ. ᎾᏍᎩ ᎦᏙᎩᏎ ᎠᎴ ᎠᎦᏚᏕᏍᏗᏎ ᎾᏍᎩᏁ ᎤᎾᏤᎵ ᎾᏍᎩᏯᎢ ᎭᏫᎾ.' ᎢᏳᏃ ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᎠᏓᏛᏙᏓᏎ ᏂᎯ ᏗᏜ, 'ᎾᏍᎩ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏂᎯ?' ᏀᎢᏳᎢ ᎯᏁᎫ, 'ᎢᏧᎳ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏂᏲᏟᏗ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎥᎿᎢ, ᎠᎴ ᎢᏧᎳ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᏑᏰᏍᏗᏔ ᎠᏆᏤᎵ ᎠᎴᏂᏙᎲ ᎡᏙᏓ ᎬᏙᏗ.' ᎢᏳᏃ ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᎠᏓᏛᏙᏓᏎ ᏂᎯ ᏗᏜ, 'ᎦᏙ-ᎤᏍᏗ ᎪᏪᎶᏙ ᏂᎯ ᎡᏙᏓ ᎥᎿᎢ ᏂᎯ ᎭᏫᎾ?' ᏀᎢᏳᎢ ᎯᏁᎫ, 'ᎾᏍᎩ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᏓᏅᏏᏙ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏣᏪᏐᎸᏍᏙ.'"