Section XVI.

[1] ^11421142    Matt. xii. 38.Then answered certain of the scribes and Pharisees, that they might tempt him, [2] and said, Teacher, we desire to see a sign from thee.  ^11431143    Matt. xii. 39.He answered and said, This evil and adulterous generation^11441144    See § 1, 49, note. seeketh a sign; and it shall not be given a sign, [3] except the sign of Jonah the prophet.  ^11451145    Luke xi. 30.And as Jonah was a sign to the inhabitants [4] of Nineveh, so shall the Son of man also be to this generation.  ^11461146    Matt. xii. 40.And as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish three days and three nights, so shall the Son of man [5] be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.  ^11471147    Luke xi. 31.The queen of the south shall rise in the judgement with the people of this generation, and condemn^11481148    See note to § 10, 13. them:  for she came from the ends of the earth that she might hear the wisdom of Solomon; [6] [Arabic, p. 62] and behold, here is a better than Solomon.  ^11491149    Matt. xii. 41.The men of Nineveh shall stand in the judgement with this generation, and condemn it:  for they repented at [7] the preaching of Jonah; and behold, here is a greater than Jonah.  ^11501150    Luke xi. 24.The unclean spirit, when he goeth out of the man, departeth, and goeth about through places wherein are no waters, that he may find rest for himself; and when he findeth it not, he [8] saith, I will return to my house whence I came out.  ^11511151    Luke xi. 25.And if he come and find it [9] adorned and set in order, ^11521152    Luke xi. 26.then he goeth, and associateth with himself seven other spirits worse than himself; and they enter and dwell in it:  and the end of that man [10] shall be worse than his beginning.  ^11531153    Matt. xii. 45b.Thus shall it be unto this evil generation.

[11] ^11541154    Luke xi. 27.And while he was saying that, a woman from the multitude lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the breasts that nursed [12] thee.  ^11551155    Luke xi. 28.But he said unto her, Blessed is he that heareth the word of God, and keepeth it.

[13] ^11561156    Matt. xii. 46a; Luke viii. 19a.And while he was speaking unto the multitude, there came unto him his mother [14] and his brethren, and sought to speak with him; ^11571157    Matt. xii. 46c; Luke viii. 19b.and they were not able, because of [15] the multitude; and they stood without and sent, calling him unto them.  ^11581158    Mark iii. 31; Matt. xii. 47.A man said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren are standing without, and seek to [16] speak with thee.  ^11591159    Matt. xii. 48.But he answered unto him that spake unto him, Who is my [17] mother? and who are my brethren?  ^11601160    Matt. xxii. 49.And he beckoned with his hand, stretching it out towards his disciples, and said, Behold, my mother! and behold, my brethren!  [18] ^11611161    Matt. xii. 50.And every man that shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven is my brother, and my sister, and my mother.

[19] ^11621162    Luke viii. 1.And after that, Jesus was going about in the cities and in the villages, and proclaiming [Arabic, p. 63] and preaching the kingdom of God, and his^11631163    The Arabic printed text gives no sense.  A simple change in the diacritical points of one letter gives the reading of the Syriac versions, which is adopted here. twelve with him, [20] ^11641164    Luke viii. 2.and the women which had been healed of diseases and of evil spirits, Mary [21] that was called Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven devils, ^11651165    Luke viii. 3.and Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who were ministering to them of their substance.

[22] ^11661166    Matt. xiii. 1.And after that, Jesus went out of the house, and sat on the sea shore.  ^11671167    Matt. xiii. 2.And there [23] gathered unto him great multitudes.  And when the press of the people was great upon him, he went up and sat in the boat; and all the multitude was standing on the [24] shore of the sea.  ^11681168    Matt. xiii. 3.And he spake to them much in parables, and said, The sower [25] went forth to sow:  and when he sowed, ^11691169    Matt. xiii. 4a; Luke viii. 5b.some fell on the beaten highway; and it was [26] trodden upon, and the birds ate it.  ^11701170    Matt. xiii. 5.And other fell on the rocks:  and some, where 69there was not much earth; and straightway it sprang up, because it had no depth in [27] the earth:  ^11711171    Matt. xiii. 6.and when the sun rose, it withered; and because it had no root, it dried [28] up.  ^11721172    Luke viii. 7; Mark iv. 7b.And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it; [29] and it yielded no fruit.  ^11731173    Luke viii. 8a; Mark iv. 8b.And other fell into excellent and good^11741174    cf. Peshitta (against Cur. and Sin.). ground; and it came up, and grew, and brought forth fruit, some thirty, and some sixty, and some [30] a hundred.  ^11751175    Luke viii. 8c.And when he said that, he cried, He that hath ears that hear, let him [31] hear.  ^11761176    Mark iv. 10; with additions from Matt. xiii. 10, and Luke viii. 9.And when they were alone, his disciples came, and asked him, and said unto [32] him, What is this parable? and why spakest thou unto them in parables?  ^11771177    Mark iv. 11; Matt. xiii. 11.He [Arabic, p. 64] answered and said unto them, Unto you is given the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God; but it is not given unto them that are [33] without.  ^11781178    Matt. xiii. 12.He that hath shall be given unto, and there shall be added; and he that [34] hath not, that which he hath shall be taken from him also.  ^11791179    Matt. xiii. 13.For this cause therefore I speak unto them in parables; because they see, and see not; and hear, and hear [35] not, nor understand.  ^11801180    Matt. xiii. 14.And in them is being fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, who said,

Hearing they shall hear, and shall not understand;

And seeing they shall see, and shall not perceive:

[36] ^11811181    Matt. xiii. 15.The heart of this people is waxed gross,

And their hearing with their ears is become heavy,

And they have closed their eyes;

Lest they should see with their eyes,

And hear with their ears,

And understand with their hearts,

And should return,

And I should heal them.

[37, 38] ^11821182    Matt. xiii. 16.But ye, blessed are your eyes, which see; and your ears, which hear.  ^11831183    Luke x. 23b.Blessed [39] are the eyes which see what ye see.  ^11841184    Matt. xiii. 17.Verily I say unto you, Many of the prophets and the righteous longed to see what ye see, and saw not; and to hear what ye [40] hear, and heard not.  ^11851185    Mark iv. 13b.When ye know not this parable, how shall ye know all parables?  [41, 42] ^11861186    Matt. xiii. 18.Hear ye the parable of the sower.  ^11871187    Mark iv. 14.The sower which sowed, sowed the word [43] of God.  ^11881188    Matt. xiii. 19.Every one who heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, the evil one cometh and snatcheth away the word that hath been sown in his [44] heart:  and this is that which was sown on the middle of the highway.  ^11891189    Matt. xiii. 20.But that which was sown on the rocks is he that heareth the word, and straightway receiveth [45, 46] [Arabic, p. 65] it with joy; ^11901190    Matt. xiii. 21a.only, it hath no root in his soul, but his belief in it is for a time; ^11911191    Luke viii. 13b; Matt. xiii. 21c.and whenever there is distress or persecution because of a^11921192    See above, § 1, 40, note 2. word, he [47] stumbleth^11931193    Or, is seduced (cf. § 25, 17, note). quickly.  ^11941194    Matt. xiii. 22a.And that which was sown among the thorns is he that heareth the word; ^11951195    Mark iv. 19b.and the care of this world, and the error of riches, and the rest of the [48] other lusts enter, and choke the word, and it becometh without fruit.  ^11961196    Luke viii. 15.And that which was sown in good ground is he that heareth my word in a pure and good heart, and understandeth it, and holdeth to it, and bringeth forth fruit with patience, ^11971197    Matt. xiii. 23b.and produceth either a hundredfold or sixtyfold or thirty.

[49] ^11981198    Mark iv. 26.And he said, So is the kingdom of God, like a man who casteth seed into the [50] earth, and sleepeth and riseth by night and day, ^11991199    Mark iv. 27.and the seed groweth and cometh [51] up, whence^12001200    Or, while. he knoweth not.  ^12011201    Mark iv. 28.And the earth bringeth it to the fruit; and first it [52] will be blade, and after it ear, and at last perfect wheat in the ear:  ^12021202    Mark iv. 29.and whenever the fruit ripeneth,^12031203    Lit. fatteneth, as in Peshitta. he bringeth immediately the sickle, for the harvest hath come.