Symmachus the Ebionite

Symmachus the Ebionite

Symmachus the Ebionite (Ἐβιωνίτης Σύμμαχος) (fl. late 2nd century) was the author of one of the Greek versions of the Old Testament. It was included by Origen in his "Hexapla" and "Tetrapla", which compared various versions of the Old Testament side by side with the Septuagint. Some fragments of Symmachus's version that survive, in what remains of the "Hexapla", inspire scholars to remark on the purity and idiomatic elegance of Symmachus' Greek. He was admired by Jerome, who used his work in composing the "Vulgate".

According to Bruce M. Metzger [Theory of the translation process, in http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/article_trans_metzger2.html] the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures prepared by Symmachus followed a "theory and method ...the opposite of that of Aquila, for his aim was to make an elegant Greek rendering. To judge from the scattered fragments that remain of his translation, Symmachus tended to be paraphrastic in representing the Hebrew original. He preferred idiomatic Greek constructions in contrast to other versions in which the Hebrew constructions are preserved. Thus he usually converted into a Greek participle the first of two finite verbs connected with a copula. He made copious use of a wide range of Greek particles to bring out subtle distinctions of relationship that the Hebrew cannot adequately express. In more than one passage Symmachus had a tendency to soften anthropomorphic expressions of the Hebrew text".

The Ebionites were a sect of practicing Jews, mainly in Palestine, Syria and Cappadocia, who apparently accepted Jesus as a prophet during the early centuries of the Common Era, but rejected his divinity.

Symmachus also wrote commentaries, not extant, apparently written to counter the canonical Greek Gospel of Matthew, his "Hypomnemata"; [Mentioned in Eusebius, "Historia Ecclesiae", VI, xvii: "As to these translators it should be stated that Symmachus was an Ebionite. But the heresy of the Ebionites, as it is called, asserts that Christ was the son of Joseph and Mary, considering him a mere man, and insists strongly on keeping the law in a Jewish manner, as we have seen already in this history. Commentaries of Symmachus are still extant in which he appears to support this heresy by attacking the Gospel of Matthew. Origen states that he obtained these and other commentaries of Symmachus on the Scriptures from a certain Juliana, who, he says, received the books by inheritance from Symmachus himself."; Jerome, De Viris Illustribus", chapter 54] it is probably identical with "De distinctione præceptorum", mentioned by Ebed Jesu. [Assemani, "Bibl. Or.", III, 1] Origen states that he obtained these and others of Symmachus' commentaries on the scriptures from a certain Juliana, who, he says, inherited them from Symmachus himself. [Eusebius, "Historia Ecclesiae", VI: xvii.] Palladius of Galatia ["Historia Lausiaca", lxiv] found in a manuscript that was "very ancient" the following entry made by Origen: "This book I found in the house of Juliana, the virgin in Caesarea, [The context makes clear that Caesarea Mazaca in Cappodocia is intended.] when I was hiding there; who said she had received it from Symmachus himself, the interpreter of the Jews". The date of Origen's stay with Juliana was probably 238-41, but Symmachus's version of the Scriptures had already been known to Origen when he wrote his earliest commentaries, ca 228. Epiphanius unreliablyweasel-inline|date=August 2007 states that Symmachus was a Samaritan who having quarrelled with his own people converted to Judaism. ["De mens. et pond." 14]

From the language of many later writers who speak of Symmachus, he must have been a man of great importance among the Ebionites, for "Symmachians" remained a term applied by Catholics even in the fourth century to the Nazarenes or Ebionites, as we know from the pseudepigraphical imitator of Ambrose, the "Ambrosiaster", "Prologue to the Epistle to the Galatians", and from Augustine's writings against heretics.

ee also

*Aquila of Sinope
*Theodotion

References

External links

* [http://www.ccel.org/w/wace/biodict/htm/iii.xix.lxxxii.htm Henry Wace, "A Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature...", Symmachus, author O.T. in Greek (2)]
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14378a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: Symmachus the Ebionite]
* [http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1208&letter=S&search=Symmachus%20the%20Ebionite Jewish Encyclopedia: Symmachus]
* [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_%281913%29/Symmachus_the_Ebionite?oldid=348890 Wikisource: Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Symmachus the Ebionite]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Symmachus the Ebionite — • Author of one of the Greek versions of the Old Testament included by Origen in his Hexapla and Tetrapla. Some fragments of this version survive in what remains of the Hexapla Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Symmachus the Ebionite… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Symmachus — can refer to several different people of Roman antiquity.*Symmachus the Ebionite (late 2nd century CE), was the author of one of the Greek versions of the Old Testament. *Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, c.340 ndash;c.402, was a Roman politician.Or: * …   Wikipedia

  • Symmaque l'Ébionite — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Symmaque. Symmaque l Ébionite (en grec ancien Ἐβιωνίτης Σύμμαχος / Ebiônítês Súmmakhos) est un traducteur de la Bible en grec, qui a vécu vers la fin du IIe siècle. Sommaire 1 Élé …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Christianity in the 2nd century — Ignatius of Antioch, one of the Apostolic Fathers and the third Bishop of Antioch, was considered a student of John the Apostle. En route to his martyrdom in Rome (c. 108), Ignatius wrote a series of preserved letters which are examples of late… …   Wikipedia

  • Versions of the Bible — • Article on versions of the Bible in the original languages and in translation. Grouped by source Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Versions of the Bible     Versions of the Bible …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Ebionites — The Ebionites (Greek: gr. Ἐβιωναῖοι Ebionaioi from Hebrew; he. אביוניםFact|date=June 2008, he. Ebyonim , the Poor Ones ) were an early Jewish Christian sect that lived in and around Judea and Palestine from the 1st to the 4th century.cite book|… …   Wikipedia

  • Epistle of James — The Epistle of James is a book in the Christian New Testament. The author identifies himself as James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ , traditionally understood as James the Just, the brother of Jesus (see Authorship and… …   Wikipedia

  • Bible translations — The Bible has been translated into many languages from the biblical languages of Hebrew and Greek. The very first translation of the Hebrew Bible was into Greek, the Septuagint (LXX), which later became the accepted text of the Old Testament in… …   Wikipedia

  • English Hexapla — The English Hexapla is an edition of the New Testament in Greek, along with what were considered the six most important English language translations in parallel columns underneath, preceded by a detailed history of English translations and… …   Wikipedia

  • Ebionites — • Two varieties: the earlier group called Ebionites denied the divinity of Christ; the later Ebionites were a Gnostic sect who believed that matter was eternal and was God s body Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Ebionites     Eb …   Catholic encyclopedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”