IN the strength of our Lord Jesus the Christ we begin to write the Commentary of the books of the New Testament, which was laboriously collected from many writings of expositors and teachers of the Holy Church, by the holy and doctrine-loving Mar Isho'dad of Merv Bishop of Hadatha in Assyria. Lord, help me and strengthen me, and make me wise, and lead me to the completion by Thy grace. In the very name of I AM THAT I AM and the Leader of the Two Covenants, we are moving from the Elysian fields, the Old Testament, to the meadows of asphodel'', the New Testament, and we interpret the meanings thereof concisely in some kind of expansion, that is, in a sort of little supplement in the middle of the lines of the body of the Scripture. Lord Christ, lead Thy servant to the completion by grace from Thyself, Amen.



Evangel is a Greek word. It is interpreted in Syriac, good Hope, our Gannat life and motion and breath. It is called the Evangel, that is to say, the good tidings, because it announced a myriad of good things to the world. For even Expectation is different from Hope, inasmuch as Expectation indicates good and evil things at the same time, whereas Hope is about good things only. And it is very aptly called the Good Hope, a word which is not even read in any place in the Old Testament; so therefore the New Testament possesses an immense difference from the Old Testament; inasmuch as that served as the shadow, but this carries the true body; and that one instructed babes in carnal knowledge, but this speaks spiritual wisdom among them that are of full age I speak of the Kingdom of Heaven, and of the blessings and the delights incomprehensible and unspeakable that are there, as also Basil, the basis of excellence, testifies about this. "The doctrine, to be sure, outside of the doctrine of the Christ, had already opened a door to us that we might look below into corporeal natures, but the doctrine of the Christ makes a believing mind wander among heavenly things every hour, and does not allow it to dwell on earthly things, as truly the Apostle also philosophized, Seek the things that are above, and not those which are on the earth, and we compare, it is said, spiritual things with spiritual people, even if the Testaments differ from one another, according to what I said, inasmuch as the one gives milk to babes to drink, and herbs for the sick to eat, but the other is meat and wine for adults, that yet there is one Governor of both, and one governance according to the stature of the growth of the disciples; therefore they follow one another, and are bound and joined together, and send the hearers to one after the other, that they may suck from both of them the things that make sustenance and life, as even our Savior did not hesitate to send the sons of this one to that former one, that they might learn sufficiently from their mother about Him and about the truth.  Search the Scriptures, namely, for in them ye think, etc., and Go, learn, that is, from your Scriptures, what is ( I will have mercy'; and truly Moses wrote about me, etc. And it is asked, Why after all should a New Testament be given ? we say it was on account of abundant reasons; first, because our nature now arrived at perfection ; and second, that He might show His love towards us, and on account of this, and by this, not by means of servants He visited us as formerly, but by means of His beloved Son ; and third, that the power of His guidance should be preached, (which is) full of excellencies; and fourth, because men did not find out how to know Him from His creation ; and fifth, because the Law was weak by reason of the infirmity of the body, etc., God sent His Son in the likeness of flesh of sin, etc.; sixth, that the full knowledge about the Unity of the Godhead might be revealed, which in three Persons is confessed, and how our Lord God the Word took from our race a complete Man, and joined it with Him in the Unity of the Person of the Sonship and the Lordship, and of power and of energy, a secret which was hidden from former ages ; and seventh, that the door might be opened to the hearers for the pardon of debts and sins, and for the resurrection and renewal of all, and for punishment and reward, and for the kingdom and Hell, and for other things which were put in eclipse for the ancients because of their not being full-grown. And if any one asks, Why did not the Messiah come from the beginning? why did He delay the help of our nature?  let him know this. First, that not from malice or envy He delayed His a coming, for He is merciful and the curator and provider of all; but our insufficiency prevented ; and, just as we, immediately with the birth of the babe, do not give him nourishment of flesh, nor clothe him with manly garments, nor introduce him to the labour of handicrafts; thus also He the wise and glorious Provider, did not make the coming of His Messiah, before leading us by steps and educating us in the things of the Law; else these spiritual things would have been found unprofitable; and just as if He had, immediately with our coming into existence, made us impeccable and incorruptible, the kingdom of Heaven would have been of no use, so also the coming of our Lord would have been of no advantage beforehand. But secondly, just as the great distinguished Physicians, if some bit of corruptible stuff has crept into the flesh, they do not cure it at once, but they wait till all the noxious matter shall come out, and thus they bring healing to the expelled pain ; thus also He, the Healer of our nature, did not immediately, when He had blessed, heal the disease of evil in our race; but He waited till nothing of the form of evil should linger hidden in nature; therefore not immediately alone after the envy and fratricide of Cain, did He bring healing to Man; for the wickedness of those who did corruptly in the days of Noah had not yet arisen, nor had the evil and lawless infirmity of the Sodomites been revealed, nor the contest of the Egyptians with God, nor the haughtiness of the Assyrians, nor the fierceness of the Jews against God, and other such like things. But after the measure of sins was filled, and there was no more any kind of evil among men that had not been dared, then He completely healed all our disease. And if any one contradict our word, [saying] that behold since healing was offered human life is still shipwrecked by means of sins, let him know this, that like as a serpent whose head is trampled on, does not die straightway, but it is his head that is dead, yet his tail still revives in life ; thus it is also to be seen with evil, that it is vigorously rooted out f. 2 b on account of our Lord, but in the residuum it is still hurtful to the world. After these things we will tell in how many kinds and orders the writings of the Old and New Testaments speak ; about this therefore we explained in paragraphs, in the preface to Genesis, and in that about the Psalms. But here let us say thus briefly, that the Scriptures speak chiefly under three heads; first, when they call men just as they are, that is to say, living, rational, mortal; but secondly, above what they are, when they call us gods ; and thirdly, below what they are, when they call us reptiles and worms and dust, and wolves, and foxes; but God is only named in two ways, either as He is, as I AM THAT I AM, or as Father and Son and Spirit, or below that which He is, as fire, or as being angry or in a rage, (Gen. 1.1) or that He repented, or that He was a lion, etc. But afterwards in other (Matt 1:1) ways they speak openly, as this, that in the beginning God created, and the book of the generation of Jesus the Christ, etc.; and mystically, like this, (Amos 3. 6) that they speak a word which is contrary to its own sense ; for the Lord p. o created all, it is said, good and evil, and Shall there be evil in the city, and (Deut.28.23) the Lord hath not done it ? and the heavens that are over thee shall Micah4.is be brass, and I will make thy horns of iron, and thy hoofs of brass, etc.; (Is 55:12) or allegorically, doors, it is said, speak, and mountains skip, and trees clap (Is. 1:9) their hands, and Sheol is troubled ; but in the reverse order, as Thou is (64:5) truly were angry, and we have sinned in these things ; and they sinned (PS. 58. 3) in Sheol, and they have gone astray from the womb; but according to the sense, without a distinct word, although it is mostly in facts, like this, that the fathers say about the Son, that He is the natural Son of the Father, and the Christ, it is said, is in two natures and substances, one Person; and God, it is said, is without beginning and unbegotten, etc. And sometimes the Scriptures speak those things that are not facts, as thus about God, that He repented, and ate and laughed; and about the Christ, that He was sin and a curse, and a stone, and a servant, etc.; (Gen. 21.14) and sometimes they mix ideas, as this, that he put it on her shoulder and (Rev. 4.5) the child, and they see voices and lamps, and they gave him water to (1 Sam.) drink and two cheeses ; and sometimes they omit letters, like this, that he made a circuit, and he departed a spirit, that is to say, in the spirit; and threw it prison, that is to say, inside the prison; and the well of (PS. 33. 7) Bethlehem, that is to say, which was at Bethlehem ; and he put, it is said, the abysses in storehouses, that is to say, as if in storehouses, etc.; and (Gen. 34.) sometimes they speak inclusively, as the priests annihilated Shechem, and behold, Simeon was not a priest; and sometimes for the sake of John 3. is unity, for no man, it is said, hath ascended to heaven, etc. And sometimes for the sake of inversion, He shall be called, it is said, a Nazarene; and 2 cor. 5.21 sometimes in the sense of acceptance, He became, it is said, sin and a curse, Joan 1.14 and the Word became flesh, etc. And sometimes they speak according to (Matt. 14.9) the supposition of others, as Behold, it is said, Adam has become like one of (Mat 21:15) us 'and Herod was sorry forsooth, and Jesus, it is said, looked on him and (John4. 6) loved him, and in the morning, it is said, He hungered; and Jesus was wearied with the toil of the journey, etc. In short, it is necessary that with every word of Scripture we should observe these four things : the occasion, the plan, the time, the persons who are involved in it, that is, in the word, for if we do not do this, we stand in danger; or else how is this, that (Luke 14.26) whosoever hateth not his father, etc, like this, Children obey your parents, (1 cor 6) etc.? and this, That no flesh should glory in His presence, like this, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord? and this, that all things are delivered to Me of my Father, like this, that the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head? and this, Knock, and it shall be opened unto you, like this, Lord, Lord, open to us, and they were not answered ? And this, He that confesseth Me before men, like this, that a devil confessed (Luke 12:8) Him, that Thou art the Son of God, and He shut his mouth? and this, Whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be (12. 10) forgiven him, like this, He that denieth Me before men, I will deny him (Matt. 10.33) before My Father, etc.? and this, If I yet pleased men, I should not be the Gal. 1.10 servant of the Christ, etc, like this, as I please all men in all things? and (1 cor. 10.33) this, that no servant can serve two masters, like this, Render that which is Caesar's to Caesar, and that which is God's to God ? and this, that God (Matt. 6.24) His Father raised Him from the dead, like this, that I will raise it up in three days ? and this, that for their sakes I sanctify myself, like this, that the Father hath sanctified Him, and sent Him into the world ? and this, that (John 10.36) yet now I come unto Thee, and But Me ye have not always with you, like this, that I am with you all days, until...and Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I amongst them ? and this, that the Christ is God over all, like this, that God was in Christ, and because God was with him ? and this, that the body profiteth nothing, like this, that except ye eat the body of the Son of Man, ye have no life in yourselves, (John 6. 63) for My body is meat indeed ? and this, that I judge no man, like this, that the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto (John 8. 15) the Son ? and this, that the Father sent not His Son to judge the (John 3. 17) world, like this, that for the judgment of the world am I come? and this, If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true, for there is another that beareth witness of Me, like this, that if I also bear witness of Myself,  My witness is true? and I am the light of the world, and the way, etc.? and this, that in My Father's house are many mansions, and if not, I would have told you, because I go, etc., like this, that if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and take you unto Myself? and this, that no one knoweth the Son, but the Father, is not at all like this, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise, and hast revealed them unto babes. Then the Apostles knew Him, and those like them. This, that (Mark 15:32) the Son knoweth not that hour, and that there is none good, and that it (Matt. 19.17) is not mine to give, and that I came not to send peace on earth, and that Mark 6. 5 He could do no mighty work there. And of John, that he said, I am (Matt. 23.10) not Elias nor a prophet, and Be ye not called Master, and how were they - masters? an d who is My mother? and who are My brethren? and ye shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel, and the queen of the south shall arise in the judgment with, etc., and a myriad such like. It is necessary for the reader to know arid distinguish between the ideas of the a Scripture, lest instead of profit he should get more damage from them, but especially with the adorable Gospel, this which even if according to the outward man it has spoken in a simple way, yet according to the inward man, hidden mysteries are crowded into it ; and about this Bar Tholmai  bears witness; "Small and yet great is Theology, and also the Gospel is great, and broad, yet small and mean"; and he who understands it enters into the midst of the incomprehensible darkness. First then let us approach to the plan that it imposes on us and let us say, what cause called Saint Matthew, that in a book he should deliver the Gospel. After, then, the ascension of our Lord, and the descent of the Spirit, the Apostles preached the Gospel in all Judaea, but on account of this, many persecutions were roused against the preachers, so that Stephen was stoned, whilst James the son of Zebedee was killed with the sword, and all who preached the fear of God were driven from Jerusalem ; and therefore the believers in Judaea seeing that they were about to be separated from the Apostles, persuaded the Blessed Matthew that in a book he should deliver to them all the things that had been spoken and done by our Lord; so he made his composition, not in that plan in which it was spoken and done by our Lord, but in another plan, which he thought would be in agreement with the doctrine ; not saying first the things that came first, and afterwards those that came afterwards : but he prepared another arrangement for them, so that they are one beautiful texture of doctrine the reason is completed. The question is asked, Why he calls it " the book of the birth of Jesus the Christ," and not "of His conduct"? Very appropriately he called it, because the birth is the beginning of all these things that relate to our Lord's conduct, and the highest part of them, and things are named after the more prominent part, as wise men say. Thus again as the first Book of the Law is called the Book of Genesis, though it declares about all those things that were done in the world in two thousand two hundred and sixteen years ; and the first Book of the Kingdoms is called of Samuel, although it shows about many things that took place after the death of Samuel ; so also the book of the Birth is called the Evangel '; and this also it is right to know, that the beginning of the Gospel is the Baptism of the Christ, but those things that happened from His conception until His baptism are added as adjuncts with it of the Gospel ; for the Gospel is also explained as the good news, and the good news begins with the Baptism, so therefore also Mark begins with it; and also Matthew and Luke, after they have taught briefly the things relating to the Birth, then approach the Baptism. And even John also, after he has taught about the Divinity of the only begotten in the commencement of his book, begins from the Baptism of John. John, it is said, bare witness of Him, etc. (John i. 15)

And it is asked, Whether it is assumed about Jesus the Christ, or about David, that He is the Son of Abraham? John Chrysostom said that he calls Jesus the Christ the Son of Abraham, as he calls Him the Son of David. Jesus, it is said, is the Son of David, and of Abraham. But the Interpreter (Theodore of Mop.) says that he calls David the son of Abraham ; as if the word were to stand so; Jesus the Christ was the Son of David, but David of Abraham, although behold, He was the Son of both of them. And it is asked, why he names these two persons specially? Because the promises about the Messiah were to Abraham first, that in thy Gen. is. is seed, it is said, all nations shall be blessed. Abraham, however, first, after the inclination to evil, turned from the idea of heathenism to know God, etc. But afterwards they were renewed to David; His seed, it is said, shall endure for ever, and his throne shall be established as the sun. The Evangelist therefore, wishing to shew that the promises and assurances to the righteous are already fulfilled and completed, put the names of the Fathers as a preface at the beginning of his writing, for the reproof of the wicked and the encouragement of believers.