The Exodus Commentary of St. Ephrem

80 Pages·1995·4.1 MB·English

by  Alison Salvesen (Author)

The Exodus Commentary of St Ephrem
ST. EPHREM ECUMENICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE (SEERI)
BAKER HILL. KOTTAYAM - 686 001
INDIA.
'
1995
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The Exodus Commentary of St Ephrem

The Exodus Commentary of St Ephrem
Alison Salvesen
St. Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute(SEERI)
Baker Hill, Kottayam - 686 001
Kerala, India.
.1995
The Exodus Commentary of St. Ephrem
By
Alison Salvesen
Moran 'Etho Series No.8.
Published by:
St. Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute(SEERI)
Baker Hill, Kottayam - 686 001
Kerala, India.
Printed at:
Wigi Offset Printers
Manganam P.O.,
Kottayam - 686 018.
Ph : 570862.
Fax [phone].
Introduction
Ephrem’s Exodus Commentary probably dates from
;he last decade of his life, a period which he spent in
Odessa, having left his native Nisibis along with the rest
)f the Christian population when the city was handed
>ver to the Persians by the Romans in 363.
The term commentary is a little misleading since
he text may originate from notes of lectures given by
]phrem in the theological School of Edessa, as in the
ase of his Genesis commentary, and Ephrem more or
ess retells the Exodus story in his own words. The
articular stress on female characters in the narrative -
gain, this is a feature in common with the Genesis com-
lentary - suggests that Ephrem was aiming his interpre-
ation at the “Daughters of the Covenant”, consecrated
omen in the Christian community.1
1 See Salvesen, “Ephrem’s Exodus Commentary” and “Some Themes...”
(References to relevant modern works generally appear in abbreviated
form: full details are given in the Bibliography.)
Ephrem’s Exodus Commentary 2
The commentary exists in a single sixth century
manuscript incorporating the Genesis commentary as
well, and belonging to the Vatican Library. Towards the
end of Exodus this manuscript becomes increasingly
illegible, and the final sections are missing. The edition
used for this translation is Tonneau’s, and I have gener¬
ally followed Jansma’s suggestions for emending the
text.2 Tonneau himself produced a Latin translation as
a companion volume to his edition, and paul Feghali is
responsible for a translation into French. I have been
somewhat liberal with my own rendering at times, as a
close reproduction of the grammatical niceties of the
Syriac text does not do justice to Ephrem’s lively
style.
Although Ephrem sometimes explains a difficult
ph rase in passing, he certainly does not give us a verse
by verse commentary of the biblical Exodus. Instead he
offers his own interpretation of the narrative, in line with
the Syriac title of the work, turgama, or explanation
(cf.Jewish Targum, an Aramaic paraphrase of the Bible).
It is closer in style to the retellings of the Jewish Greek
writers Josephus and Philo than the biblical commentar¬
ies that the modern reader may be familiar with. Such
a style enables Ephrem to omit or gloss over certain parts
of the biblical narrative while highlighting others. For
instance, Moses’ father is never mentioned whereas his
mother is brou- ght into prominence, many of the laws
are omitted and the details of the building of the Taber¬
nacle are much abbreviated, while the episode at the
inn (4.24-26) is expanded and interpreted.
2 In “Some Remarks...” and “Weitere Beitrage...” See Bibliogra¬
phy for details of other authors and works.