Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Isho'dad of Merv (9th century) on Simeon’s Prophecy in Luke 2

  

And a spear shall pass through thine own soul also, that the thoughts of the hearts of many may be revealed, that is to say, Thou shalt know accurately also thyself that thou art much too weak to know exactly the greatness of this [man], and to understand truly who He is, and how great is His glory, for if that should be the probation and examination of thy soul, and of the supposition about Him which is in thy mind, thou, even thou, canst not believe in Him at all along with many; nor understand the divine nature that is in Him. Mar Ephraim says that Thou shalt make a spear pass through thy soul, that many thoughts of hearts may be revealed, those who have doubted, that is to say, thou also shalt doubt Him, because He shall be wonderful in His miracles, and thou shalt relate to others, and they shall be relieved from doubts about Him by her word; again, but because the Blessed One supposed about her Son, on account of the wonderful things that were said and done about Him, that He was the Messiah the King, who was about to come, and she had hoped about the Messiah, as also all the Jews, that when He came, He would abide for ever, and subdue all the nations, etc., and they would be the princes of the world; and she also expected great honour as the mother of a great King; afterwards the time was ready, that she should hear and see the calling of the Gentiles, and the union with them; and His being humiliated and despised, and what was enacted in His Passion, etc,. was outside her expectation; therefore Simeon says, A spear shall pierce thy soul, and doubt. When the time shall come that thou shalt see the things that are contrary to thine own supposition, and that of the members of thy family, the weakness also shall be reproved which is now considered when He is believed to be the Lord and equal to God, and He is adored by every knee that is in Heaven and on the earth. This of a spear, that is to say, just as in the body when it is equal and like itself, it suffers a division from a blow which it receives, thus also are these things which are in thy soul; for when it was right that thou shouldest keep equality befitting the things that had happened before, unequal things appeared from the blows of doubt; but the time shall come, which will reveal the thoughts of many, and thine own; and the weakness of the present shall be reproved, etc. Some say that through thy soul, that is to say, through thy Child, a spear shall pass; and the sword that turns round at Paradise, from the transgression of the commandment onwards; so he calls her Child her soul. Others say, A little time, and thou shalt see thy Son hanging on the wood, and transfixed by a spear, which is again thy supposition about Him just now; for it is a custom for those who are crucified, not to receive the completion with a sword, but with a spear; therefore the Prophet, of all the things that happened at the Crucifixion, mentions the last thing only, saying that this is important, that through Him and thyself a spear shall pass, for Mothers are like this, but here not only thyself, that also the thoughts of many may be revealed, which other things were thought about Him; such as those who said, We hear from the Law, that the Christ abideth for ever, and others also said other things. (The Commentaries of Isho'dad of Merv, 3 vols. [trans. Margaret Dunlop Gibson; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1911], 1:159-60)