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Irenæus
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Introductory Note to Irenæus Against Heresies
[3140] The Latin text of this clause is, “Quia autem triginta annorum ætas prima indolis est juvenis” —words which it seems almost impossible to translate. Grabe regarded “indolis” as being in the nominative, while Massuet contends it is in the genitive case; and so regarding it, we might translate, “Now that the age of thirty is the first age of the mind of youth,” etc. But Harvey re-translates the clause into Greek as follows: Ὃτι δὲ ἡ τῶν τριάκοντα ἐτῶν ἡλικία ἡ πρώτη τῆς διαθέσεώς ἐστι νέας— words which we have endeavoured to render as above. The meaning clearly is, that the age of thirty marked the transition point from youth to maturity.
[3141] With respect to this extraordinary assertion of Irenæus, Harvey remarks: “The reader may here perceive the unsatisfactory character of tradition, where a mere fact is concerned. From reasonings founded upon the evangelical history, as well as from a preponderance of external testimony, it is most certain that our Lord’s ministry extended but little over three years; yet here Irenæus states that it included more than ten years, and appeals to a tradition derived, as he says, from those who had conversed with an apostle”
[3142] Trajan’s reign commenced a.d. 98, and St. John is said to have lived to the age of a hundred years.
[3144] “Sed veritas”—literally, “the truth.”
[3145] [This statement is simply astounding, and might seem a providential illustration of the worthlessness of mere tradition unsustained by the written Word. No mere tradition could be more creditably authorized than this.]
[3146] Iliad, iv. 1.
[3147] Latin, of course, in the text.
Chapter XXIII.—The woman who suffered from an issue of blood was no type of the suffering Æon.
[3150] The text of this sentence is very uncertain. We follow Massuet’s reading, “negotio Æonum,” in preference to that suggested by Harvey.
Chapter XXIV.—Folly of the arguments derived by the heretics from numbers, letters, and syllables.
[3151] “Sive confusionem” is very probably a marginal gloss which has found its way into the text. The whole clause is difficult and obscure.
[3152] Comp. i. 14, 4.
[3153] Thus: Σωτήρ ( σ = 200, ω = 800, τ = 300, η = 8, ρ = 100 ) = 1408.
[3154] Being written thus, ישו, and the small י being apparently regarded as only half a letter. Harvey proposes a different solution which seems less probable.
[3155] This is one of the most obscure passages in the whole work of Irenæus, and the editors have succeeded in throwing very little light upon it. We may merely state that ישו seems to be regarded as containing in itself the initials of the three words יְהֹוָה, Jehovah; שְמַיִם, heaven; and וְאָרָץ, and earth.
[3156] Nothing can be made of these words; they have probably been corrupted by ignorant transcribers, and are now wholly unintelligible.
[3157] “Literæ sacerdotales,”—another enigma which no man can solve. Massuet supposes the reference to be to the archaic Hebrew characters, still used by the priests after the square Chaldaic letters had been generally adopted. Harvey thinks that sacerdotales represents the Greek λειτουργικά, “meaning letters as popularly used in common computation.”
[3158] The editors have again long notes on this most obscure passage. Massuet expunges “quæque,” and gives a lengthened explanation of the clause, to which we can only refer the curious reader.
[3159] בָרוּךְ, Baruch, blessed, one of the commonest titles of the Almighty. The final ך seems to be reckoned only a half-letter, as being different in form from what it is when accompanied by a vowel at the beginning or in the middle of a word.
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