Page:Commentaries of Ishodad of Merv, volume 1.djvu/34

xxvi Returning to Ishoʿdad's value to the Synoptic and textual critic, we may take as an interesting example his comment on the story of Herodias and her daughter:

Here we have support for the reading in Mk. vi. 22

so far, that is, as the name of the girl is concerned. The reading is edited by W. H. under the authority of the MSS. BDL. We must not, however, treat Ishoʿdad as a Syriac witness, for the extract shows that it is Theodore who is responsible for the name.

Here is a curious case in which a remark of Ishoʿdad's may throw light on the variant in Luke xiii. 8: this peculiar reading of Codex Bezae has much to commend it in the nature of the case, and the omission of the first word can easily be explained by reference to the like beginnings of the two words. But it would be much more easily explained in Syriac, for as Ishoʿdad says in commenting upon the difference between a and a

So if we imagine that the gardener was going to employ, we can easily see how one of two such closely related words would disappear. (Cf. the Old Syriac .)

Another case in which it has been suspected that a Syriac retranslation, or a variant treatment of an Aramaic source would explain curious variations in the Greek tradition is Luke xxiv. 32 where the ordinary text finds such variations  in D, excecatum in c, exterminatum in e and apparently gravatum in the Old Syriac. Upon this Ishoʿdad remarks acutely that, 'for "was not our heart burning within us?" the Greek has "was not our heart heavy ? The observation would explain some of the variants at all events. It is clear, then, that there is much to be learned from Ishoʿdad by the student of textual variations.

Equally striking are some of his exegetical comments, in which, however, we must always remember that he may be retailing Theodore. I give a single instance. In the eleventh chapter of John, Martha says 'Yea! Lord, I have believed that thou art the Christ, the Son of God who should come into the world.' I imagine that the fulness of this confession,