This continues the series dealing with patristic quotations of Matthew 27:25 – “His blood be upon us and upon our children.” Cyril of Alexandria is our current target, but I think we’re getting close to the end.
Now I’ve dealt with the first and second quotations from the Glaphyra. I think that I probably got a little sidetracked into the larger issue of how an author regards the Jews generally, which of course would be catastrophic because there is so much material.
The third and fourth passages from the TLG are as follows:
- PG69 col. 629 line 17: ὑπὸ νόμον ὡς ἡγούμενον· πυῤῥὰ δὲ ὅτι τῆς οἰκονομίας ὁ τρόπος ἐφ’ αἵματι γέγονε δι’ ἡμᾶς καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν. Ἄμωμος δὲ, διὰ τὸ ἀπλημμελές· οὐ γὰρ οἶδεν
- PG 69 col. 649 line 17: Χριστῷ, ταῖς ἑαυτῶν κεφαλαῖς καταγράφουσι τὸ δυσσέβημα, λέγοντες· «Τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα ἡμῶν.» Οἱ δὲ τῆς παρ’ αὐτοῦ γλιχό-
The first of these is on Numbers, “On the red cow which is burned away from the camp.” But … it does not appear to contain our text. It is, in short, a spurious result from the TLG search, itself necessarily imperfect. The passage is all about sacrifice and blood, and the blood of the Lord as a replacement for it.
The other passage definitely does contain Matthew 27:25. This is on Deuteronomy, the first passage discussed from that book. The context is again about how Christ is wounded for our sins.
For the baptized are cleansed through his death: for this, I think, is because the hands may be cleansed by him. Obviously by confessing that they are partakers in the impiety of the Jews, they obtain remission. For the Jews, maddened against Christ, brought condemnation on their own heads, saying, “His blood be upon us and upon our children.” But they were hoping for grace from him, and they sought the cleansing of holy baptism, by which they understood that he would honour them, did not say so much, saying, “Our hands did not shed this blood.” In Christ, therefore, there is purification. And if anyone from among the Jews would like to understand rightly, what the divine disciples indeed did before others, and who they believed through these things, it will be established for them without any undeserved obscurity; then also they themselves may be honoured and chosen, avoiding indeed the impiety of Israel, and joining themselves to Christ, upon whom be honour and worship with the eternal Father and consubstantial Spirit, now and forever and to the end of the world. Amen.[1]
This neatly makes the point that the issue is not race, but religion.
- [1]Abluentur enim in mortem ipsius baptizati : hoc enim arbitror, est quod ab ipsis manus sint ablutae. Nimirum ut sic confitentes, quod impietatis Judaeorum participes sint, consequentur remissionem. Nam Judaei in Christum debacchati sua ipsorum capita damnaverunt impietatis, dicentes: «Sanguis ejus super nos et super filios nostros.»Qui autem ab ipso exspectabant gratiam, sanctique baptismatis mundationem quaerebant, per quae intellexerunt se ipsum honorare, tantum non exclamarunt, dicentes : «Manus nostrae non effuderunt sanguinem hunc.» In Christo igitur est purificatio. Et si quis ex Judaeis recte sentire voluerit quod quidem fecerunt prae aliis divini discipuli, quique per hos crediderunt, quibus sane haud immerito personatus imponetur; tum et ipsi fuissent honorati et electi, impietatem quidem Israelis devitantes, ac se per fidem copulantes Christo, quem decet honor et adoratio cum aeterno Patre et consubstantiali Spiritu, nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.↩
Very interesting quotation, though the translation needs a little straightening out. The thing to bear in mind is that it is all an allegory, interspersed by quotations and allusions to Deut. 21 of varying accuracy. Thus (perhaps a little too literally), ‘For they will be washed when baptized into his death; for this is, I think, [the meaning of] the [statement], “Upon him they will wash their hands.” [a loose quotation of Deut. 21:6]. Confessing that they have become partakers of Jewish unholiness, they will receive forgiveness. [nimirum seems to be a gross overtranslation of the Greek de]. For the Jews, behaving with drunken violence toward Christ, decree [conviction for] irreverence upon their own heads, saying [quotation]. But those who longed for grace from him and sought the purification [that comes] through the Holy Spirit, through which they knew that they honoured [him], well-nigh even shouted out, saying, ‘Our hands have not poured out this blood.’ So in Christ is indeed the purification [I translate very stiltedly—I think Cyril is referring allegorically to the ‘purification’ that is the subject of the Deuteronomic text]. And if anyone of the Jews should choose to think uprightly—which indeed the divine disciples did even before the rest, and those who believed through them, to whom one might also reasonably refer the person of the council of elders [i.e. from Deuteronomy 21; another allegory]; for they were precious and elect, averting the unholiness of Israel through faith in Christ [the doxology follows].’
Hope this helps!
Thank you very much for correcting my very hasty translation. All such comments very welcome!