{"id":14790,"date":"2015-06-17T20:56:13","date_gmt":"2015-06-17T19:56:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/?p=14790"},"modified":"2015-06-17T20:56:13","modified_gmt":"2015-06-17T19:56:13","slug":"the-glaphyra-of-cyril-of-alexandria-and-matthew-2725","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/2015\/06\/17\/the-glaphyra-of-cyril-of-alexandria-and-matthew-2725\/","title":{"rendered":"The &#8220;Glaphyra&#8221; of Cyril of Alexandria and Matthew 27:25"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cyril of Alexandria wrote quite a number of commentaries on the Old Testament.\u00a0 There is the <em>De adoratione et cultu in spiritu et veritate<\/em>, in 17 books, in the form of a dialogue with a certain Palladius.\u00a0 There is the massive line-by-line <em>Commentary on Isaiah<\/em>, in 5 books; and his <em>Commentary on the minor prophets<\/em>, with which we have been concerned recently.\u00a0 There is also a collection of fragments from\u00a0a <em>Commentary on the Psalms<\/em>, collected by Angelo Mai.\u00a0 But not all of these are genuine.[ref]Robert Wilken, &#8220;Cyril of Alexandria as interpreter of the Old Testament&#8221; in: <em>The Theology of St. Cyril of Alexandria: A Critical Appreciation<\/em>, <span dir=\"ltr\">A&amp;C Black<\/span> (2003)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.uk\/books?id=YRxJAoKA5MIC&amp;lpg=PA3&amp;ots=QshzNFwaNU&amp;dq=cyril%20glaphyra%20translation&amp;pg=PA4#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false\">p.4<\/a>.[\/ref]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">But there is also the <em>Glaphyra<\/em>, the &#8220;Elegant Comments&#8221;, in 13 books, which he deals with select passages from the Pentateuch.\u00a0 7 books are devoted to Genesis, 3 to Exodus, and 1 book each to Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.\u00a0 It\u00a0appears in\u00a0the <em>Patrologia Graeca<\/em> volume 69, cols. 9-678, and as far as I know has not been translated into English, or any other modern language.\u00a0 The work was also translated into Syriac in the 6th century by Moses of Agel, and fragments of this translation are extant.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The work begins with a preface (cols.9-10) in which he makes clear that the purpose of his exegesis is to show that &#8220;the end of the law and the prophets is Christ.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">These notes are necessary, for I find that an online\u00a0search on Cyril of Alexandria and Glaphyra produces almost no information.\u00a0 But of course our interest is his <a href=\"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/2015\/05\/25\/his-blood-be-upon-us-the-use-of-mt-2725-and-acts-410-in-patristic-writers\/\">references to Matthew 27:25<\/a>, &#8220;His blood be upon us and upon our children.&#8221;\u00a0 The TLG gives 4 results in the <em>Glaphyra in Pentateuchum<\/em>\u00a0{4090.097}, when searched:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>PG\u00a069 page 44 line 17: \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u1f45\u03bb\u03c9\u03bd \u039a\u03cd\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd, \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c4\u03b5\u03c4\u03bf\u03bb\u03bc\u03ae\u03ba\u03b1\u03c3\u03b9\u03bd \u03b5\u1f30\u03c0\u03b5\u1fd6\u03bd \u1f10\u03ba \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03bb\u1fc6\u03c2\u00a0\u1f04\u03b3\u03b1\u03bd \u1f00\u03bd\u03bf\u03c3\u03b9\u03cc\u03c4\u03b7\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2, \u00ab\u03a4\u1f78 \u03b1\u1f37\u03bc\u03b1 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u1f10\u03c6\u2019 \u1f21\u03bc\u1fb6\u03c2, \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f10\u03c0\u1f76 \u03c4\u1f70 \u03c4\u03ad\u03ba\u03bd\u03b1 \u1f21\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd.\u00bb \u1f08\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03bc\u1f72\u03bd \u03b1\u1f37\u03bc\u03b1 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u1f0c\u03b2\u03b5\u03bb<\/li>\n<li>PG 69 page 349 line 29: \u1f1d\u03c4\u03b5\u03c1\u03bf\u03bd \u03b3\u1f70\u03c1, \u03bf\u1f36\u03bc\u03b1\u03b9, \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u1f70 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03c4\u03cc \u1f10\u03c3\u03c4\u03b9\u03bd \u03bf\u1f50\u03b4\u1f72\u03bd \u03c4\u1f78 \u1f00\u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03ad\u03c4\u03c9\u03c2 \u03b5\u1f30\u03c0\u03b5\u1fd6\u03bd \u1f10\u03c0\u1f76 \u03a7\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u1ff7\u00b7 \u00ab\u03a4\u1f78 \u03b1\u1f37\u03bc\u03b1 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u1f10\u03c6\u2019 \u1f21\u03bc\u1fb6\u03c2, \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f10\u03c0\u1f76 \u03c4\u1f70 \u03c4\u03ad\u03ba\u03bd\u03b1 \u1f21\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd.\u00bb<\/li>\n<li>PG69 page 629 line 17: \u1f51\u03c0\u1f78 \u03bd\u03cc\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd \u1f61\u03c2 \u1f21\u03b3\u03bf\u03cd\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03bd\u00b7 \u03c0\u03c5\u1fe4\u1fe5\u1f70 \u03b4\u1f72 \u1f45\u03c4\u03b9 \u03c4\u1fc6\u03c2 \u03bf\u1f30\u03ba\u03bf\u03bd\u03bf\u03bc\u03af\u03b1\u03c2 \u1f41 \u03c4\u03c1\u03cc\u03c0\u03bf\u03c2 \u1f10\u03c6\u2019 \u03b1\u1f35\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b9 \u03b3\u03ad\u03b3\u03bf\u03bd\u03b5 \u03b4\u03b9\u2019 \u1f21\u03bc\u1fb6\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f51\u03c0\u1f72\u03c1\u00a0\u1f21\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd. \u1f0c\u03bc\u03c9\u03bc\u03bf\u03c2 \u03b4\u1f72, \u03b4\u03b9\u1f70 \u03c4\u1f78 \u1f00\u03c0\u03bb\u03b7\u03bc\u03bc\u03b5\u03bb\u03ad\u03c2\u00b7 \u03bf\u1f50 \u03b3\u1f70\u03c1 \u03bf\u1f36\u03b4\u03b5\u03bd<\/li>\n<li>PG\u00a069 page 649 line 17: \u03a7\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u1ff7, \u03c4\u03b1\u1fd6\u03c2 \u1f11\u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03ba\u03b5\u03c6\u03b1\u03bb\u03b1\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03b3\u03c1\u03ac\u03c6\u03bf\u03c5\u03c3\u03b9 \u03c4\u1f78\u00a0\u03b4\u03c5\u03c3\u03c3\u03ad\u03b2\u03b7\u03bc\u03b1, \u03bb\u03ad\u03b3\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2\u00b7 \u00ab\u03a4\u1f78 \u03b1\u1f37\u03bc\u03b1 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u1f10\u03c6\u2019 \u1f21\u03bc\u1fb6\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f10\u03c0\u1f76 \u03c4\u1f70 \u03c4\u03ad\u03ba\u03bd\u03b1 \u1f21\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd.\u00bb \u039f\u1f31 \u03b4\u1f72 \u03c4\u1fc6\u03c2 \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u2019 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03b3\u03bb\u03b9\u03c7\u03cc-<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">So let&#8217;s go and look at the first of these.\u00a0 As ever I give the Latin text, which I can OCR using Abbyy Finereader 12 Screenshot, rather than the Greek which I cannot; and translating from it.<\/p>\n<p>The first passage, col. 44, is on Genesis, the story of Cain and Abel.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">For everywhere they [the Jews] live, as strangers and foreigners, and fearful, and that which is right for free-born men, without liberty.\u00a0 Now Cain received the sign so that they might not kill him.\u00a0 For not all Israel was ruined.\u00a0 But the rest were made saved, as the prophet said, who understood this and prophesied, saying &#8220;If the Lord of the Sabbath had not left us a seed, we would have been like Sodom and Gomorrha.&#8221;\u00a0 For this reason also the divine psalmist, lest Israel might be dissolved in the world, called upon the God of the whole world, saying, &#8220;Do not kill them, lest they forget your law.&#8221;\u00a0 So Cain went out from the face of the Lord.\u00a0 For so it is written, &#8220;And Cain went out from the face of the Lord.&#8221;\u00a0 The same thing happened to the Israelites, to whom it was spoken by the voice of the prophet, &#8220;When you stretch out your hands to me, I will turn my eyes away from you; and if you multiply your prayers, I will not hear you.\u00a0 For your hands are full of blood.&#8221;\u00a0\u00a0 For they killed the Lord of all, and in their extreme impiety dared to say, &#8220;His blood be upon us and our children.&#8221;\u00a0 The blood of Abel cried out only against his single killer.\u00a0 But the precious blood of Christ cried out so greatly against the cruelty and inhumanity of the Jews, for he freed the world from sin, for he was poured out for it.\u00a0 For this reason the divine Paul says, &#8220;&#8221;we come near, we who are justified by faith, by the shedding of the blood which is called better than the blood of Abel.&#8221;\u00a0 I think that this must be added to what has been said: &#8220;For afterwards&#8221;, he said, &#8220;Adam knew Eve his wife and she conceived and gave birth to a son, and called him Seth, saying, &#8216;God has appointed for me another seed, in place of Abel whom Cain killed.&#8221;[ref]Ubique enim hospites atque advenae, et trepidi, et ea quae ingenuos maxime decet, libertate carentes vivunt. Caeterum accepit Cain signum ut non interficerent eum. Periit enim non totus in universum Israel. Reliquiae autem salvae factae Sunt, juxta prophetae vocem, qui cum hoc intelligeret, praeclamavit, dicens: \u00abEt nisi Dominus Sabaoth reliquisset nobis semen, sicut Sodoma facti essemus, et sicut Gomorrha similes essemus.\u00bbQuocirca, divinus etiam Psalmista, ne in universum absumeretur Israel, Deum totius universi rogavit, dicens: \u00abNe interficias eos, ne quando obliviscantur legis tuae.\u00bb Praeterea egressus est Cain a facie Domini. Ita enim scriptum est:\u00abEt egressus est Cain a facie Domini.\u00bb Tale quid accidit Israelitis, ad quos dictum est per vocem propheta :\u00ab Quando extenderitis manus vestras ad me, avertam oculos meos a vobis; et si multiplicaveritis orationem vestram, non exaudiam vos. Manus enim vestra sanguine plenae sunt.\u00bb Occiderunt enim universorum Dominum, et prae nimia impietate ausi sunt dicere: \u00abSanguis ejus super nos et super filios nostros.\u00bb Atqui sanguis Abel adversus solum interfectorem clamavit : pretiosus vero Christi sanguis fere tantum clamavit adversus Judaeorum crudelitatem atque ingratitudinem : liberavit autem mundum a peccato , utpote fusus pro ipso. Idcirco etiam divinus Paulus ait, \u00abaccedere nos, qui per fidem justificati sumus, fusione sanguinis melius loquente quam sanguis Abelis\u00bb. Illud vero etiam iis quae dicta sunt adjiciendum puto : \u00abPostquam enim, inquit, \u00abmortuus est Abel, cognovit Adam Evam uxorem suam, et concipiens peperit filium, et vocavit nomen ejus Seth, dicens &#8220;Suscitavit enim mihi Deus semen aliud pro Abel, quem occidit Cain.\u00bb[\/ref]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">As usual with Cyril, we see an Old Testament story being interpreted\u00a0as a prediction of the events of the\u00a0New Testament.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">More in due course!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cyril of Alexandria wrote quite a number of commentaries on the Old Testament.\u00a0 There is the De adoratione et cultu in spiritu et veritate, in 17 books, in the form of a dialogue with a certain Palladius.\u00a0 There is the massive line-by-line Commentary on Isaiah, in 5 books; and his Commentary on the minor prophets, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[19],"tags":[528,1107],"class_list":["post-14790","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-from-my-diary-announcements","tag-cyril-of-alexandria","tag-matthew-2725"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14790"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14790\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}