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Syriac · Other · mid-4th century

Nisibis 63

Ephrem the Syrian · syriac

BothSourceEnglish
JSON Dossier
machine-draft · no human review 2 passages · 516 words

Work dossier · summary and historical context

Summary

Nisibis 63 is a memrā (metrical homily) attributed to Ephrem the Syrian, likely composed in Nisibis before its cession to Persia in 363 CE. The Syriac text, edited by Dom Edmund Beck, survives in a single manuscript tradition with lacunae; missing lines are reconstructed from parallel Ephrem corpora. The work employs typological exegesis, conflating biblical figures such as Isaac and Jephthah’s daughter, and uses Syriac idioms like 'son of his voice' for echo. It was later excerpted in West Syriac liturgical books for the Feast of the Nicene Fathers, indicating doctrinal utility, but shows no East Syriac lectionary use.

This memrā exemplifies Ephrem’s typological exegesis and Syriac poetic techniques, such as isosyllabic meter and idiomatic imagery. Its liturgical reuse in West Syriac tradition highlights its doctrinal importance for Nicene theology. The work also provides insight into 4th-century Nisibene Christianity and the transmission of Ephrem’s corpus.

Historical context

The memrā was composed in Nisibis, a major Syriac Christian center in Roman Mesopotamia, during the mid-4th century. Internal references to Nisibis as a Christian city under Roman control place the work before 363, when the city was ceded to Persia after Emperor Jovian’s treaty. Attribution to Ephrem (c. 306–373) is traditional but lacks contemporary external corroboration; the work is part of the larger Ephrem corpus transmitted in Syriac manuscripts. The text survives in a single manuscript tradition with lacunae, and Beck’s edition reconstructs missing lines from parallel passages, introducing uncertainty. The memrā’s later use in West Syriac liturgical books for the Feast of the Nicene Fathers suggests its theological alignment with Nicene orthodoxy, but it is absent from East Syriac lectionaries, reflecting later confessional divisions.

Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded

Annotation and terms

11 commentary units 2 term2 scripture2 background2 structure2 reception1 caution 0 derived notes 4 open questions 2 narrative
What the kinds mean

Pipeline notes

  • limitThe English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve.
  • registerRegister: other in classical Syriac; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them.
  • structurePassages: 2 narrative.
  • sourceSource edition: syriac — CC BY 4.0

Term index

CopticRenderingCountFirst
no glossary terms recorded
dsc-317:1 · narrativemedium
Source
ܝܒ ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ ܀܀܀ ܡܰܢܽܘ ܢܶܬܩܽܘܠ ܦܽܘܪܥܳܢܶܗ ܕܗܰܘ ܐܰܒܪܳܗܳܡ ܕܬܶܗܪܰܬ ܒܶܗ ܟܰܕ ܦܳܟܰܪ ܠܶܗ ܠܺܝܚܺܝܕܳܝܶܗ ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ: ܠܳܟ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܩܳܠܳܐ ܕܰܐܚܰܝ ܠܡܺܝ̈ܬܶܐ ܕܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܘܰܣܠܶܩܘ̱ ܘܰܗܘܰܘ ܟܳܪ̈ܽܘܙܶܐ ܠܒܰܪ ܡܰܚܶܐ ܟܽܘܠ ܗܰܘ ܥܶܕܳܢ ܦܚܶܬ ܢܶܦܩܰܬ ܕܶܐܚܙܶܐ ܬܶܗܪܳܐ ܕܰܫܡܺܝܛܳܐ ܠܶܗ ܣܰܟܺܝܢܶܗ ܥܰܠ ܚܰܒܺܝܒܶܗ ܩܶܦܣܰܬ ܐܰܣܓܝܰܬ ܥܽܘܗ̈ܕܳܢܝ̱ ܡܶܢ ܟܽܠ ܦܶܢܝ̈ܳܢ ܘܟܶܢܫܰܬ ܢܰܦܫܝ̱ ܕܶܐܬܗܰܪ ܗܘܺܝܬ ܒܶܗ ܒܗܰܘ ܢܰܨܺܝܚܳܐ ܐܰܝܟܰܢܳܐ ܟܰܝ ܩܳܪܶܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܫܰܪܒܶܗ ܪܰܒܳܐ ܨܥܰܪܬܽܘܢܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܩܶܪܝܳܢܶܗ ܒܓܰܘ ܐܶܕ̈ܢܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܣܰܝܦܶܗ ܕܢܶܦܬܰܚ ܒܣܰܪ ܠܶܗ ܠܰܐܝܢܳܐ ܕܰܐܒܺܝܠ ܒܰܪܬܶܗ ܗܘܳܬ ܠܶܗ ܡܰܚܙܺܝܬܳܐ ܕܰܚܺܝܬ ܡܺܝ̈ܬܶܐ ܗܺܝ ܝܶܗܒܰܬ ܢܰܦܫܳܗ̇ ܠܰܐܒܽܘܗ̇ ܘܰܐܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܐܰܓܥܶܠܘ̱ ܚܰܝ̈ܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܠܰܐܒܳܐ ܕܟܽܠܳܐ ܒܥܶܕܳܢ ܩܨܳܐ ܒܟܰܪܣܳܐ ܟܰܝ ܠܳܐ ܢܣܺܝܬܽܘܢ ܐ̱ܪܳܙܳܗ̇ ܕܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܕܒܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܣܰܓܺܝ ܢܺܝܚܺܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܡܰܢ ܕܰܒܟܰܪܣܳܐ ܩܫܐ ܗܘ ܠܟܽܘܢ ܠܰܡܩܳܡ ܠܽܘܩܒܰܠ ܨܶܒܝܳܢܝ̱ ܪܰܒܳܐ ܠܥܽܘܕܪܳܢܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܗܳܐ ܕܒܰܪ ܠܥܰܢܺܝ̈ܕܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܒܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܕܡܽܘܐܳܒ ܗܰܘ ܕܢܰܟܶܣ ܠܰܒܪܶܗ ܒܺܐܝ̈ܕܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܢܶܬܟܰܐܰܪ ܐܰܝܢܳܐ ܕܡܺܝܠܶܠ ܥܰܠ ܥܰܢܺܝܕܳܐ ܗܰܘ ܚܰܢܦܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܐܰܝܟ ܡܳܐ ܕܰܐܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܗܳܐ ܩܳܪܶܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܘܰܐܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܡ̈ܰܠܦܶܐ ܘܰܪ̈ܕܰܝܳܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܣܰܒܰܪܬܽܘܢ ܗܽܘ ܣܰܝܒܰܪ ܘܰܐܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܦܳܩܪܺܝܢ ܕܰܐܒܺܝܠܺܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܥܰܠ ܨܶܒܝܳܢܶܗ ܕܡܳܪܳܐ ܟܽܠ ܟܰܕ ܒܳܟܶܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܕܳܚܶܠ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܕܰܐܥܒܰܪ ܫܰܪܒܶܗ ܕܺܐܝܽܘܒ ܒܓܰܘ ܗܳܢܳܐ ܦܽܘܡܝ̱ ܚܰܠܳܫܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܫܳܘܶܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܒܰܕܓܽܘܢ ܗܳܟܰܢ ܚܳܐܶܓ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܓܰܪ̈ܡܰܝܗܽܘܢ
English
The son of his voice. The one who made the scales of his redemption tremble, that Abraham, so that you might marvel at him when he offered his only son. The righteous one: to you, praise, O voice that revived the dead of Sheol. They ascended and became heralds of the Son who revives all. That festival descended; the wonder came forth, that I might see the wonder of the one who was slaughtered, his knife upon his beloved. She ceased, she increased my memories from all sides, and I troubled myself that I might be astounded by that triumphant one. How then do you read? You have come, his great story; your little ones, his reading within your hands. His sword that opened, it cut for him the flesh of the mourner. His daughter was for him a demonstration that the dead live. She gave herself to her father, and you came and hastened. Your lives for the Father of all at the time of the end. In the womb, then, you did not hide her secret from Sheol, that in Sheol many are buried; you came with what is in the womb. It is difficult for you to stand against my great desire. For it is for the sake of the covenant that the son of your destined ones, with the king of Moab, that one who covered his son with his own hands, was troubled, the mourner who spoke concerning the destined one. That impious one is he, as you have come, you read, you have come, and you have come, teachers and guides, as you supposed. He endured, and you came, mourners of the mourners, you have come, over the will of the Lord, all while you weep, you have come. For I fear, I, to pass over the story of Job, within this feeble mouth of mine, which is not worthy, I. By you, then, I rejoice, I, with your bones.
dsc-317:2 · narrativemedium
Source
ܟܰܕ ܡܰܘܕܶܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܠܡܰܢ ܕܝܰܗ̱ܒ ܕܰܠܘܳܬܝ̱ ܢܺܐܬܽܘܢ ܠܳܐ ܬܨܰܥܪܽܘܢ ܗܰܕܳܡ̈ܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܒܰܚܛܳܗ̈ܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܕܒܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܫܺܝܛܺܝܢ ܓܰܪ̈ܡܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܕܰܐܝܠܶܝܢ ܕܰܐܪܫܰܥܘ̱ ܐܰܝܟܳܐ ܕܚܳܙܶܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܦܰܓܪܶܗ ܕܚܰܕ ܡܶܢ ܒܺܝ̈ܫܶܐ ܥܠܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܕܳܐܶܫ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܘܠܳܐܶܛ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܐܳܦ ܕܽܘܟܪܳܢܶܗ ܘܰܐܝܟܳܐ ܕܚܳܙܶܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܓܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ ܕܚܰܕ ܡܶܢ ܟܺܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܡܰܣܛܳܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܘܰܡܝܰܩܰܪ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܟܰܕ ܣܳܓܶܕ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܠܳܐ ܪܓܺܝܫܺܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܚܰܠܳܫ̈ܶܐ ܒܟܽܠ ܛܽܘ̈ܟܳܣܝ̱ ܠܘܳܬܟܽܘܢ ܗܽܘ ܒܠܺܝܠܺܝܢ ܛܶܟ̈ܣܶܐ ܕܰܥܘܺܝܪ̈ܺܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܡܽܘܫܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܒܰܠܚܽܘܕ ܝܳܕܰܥ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܕܝܰܩܰܪ ܐܰܟܘܳܬܝ̱ ܓܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ ܕܝܰܘܣܶܦ ܗܰܘ ܕܶܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܠܶܗ ܡܰܘܪܶܒ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܀܀܀ ܡܽܘܫܶܐ ܕܶܝܢ ܠܚܰܕ ܦܰܓܪܳܐ ܕܰܟܝܳܐ ܝܰܩܰܪ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܕܶܝܢ ܦܰܓܪ̈ܶܐ ܐܳܦ ܓܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ ܕܟܽܠ ܙܰܕܺܝ̈ܩܶܐ ܨܶܡܚܺܝܢ ܓܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ ܕܰܢܒܺܝ̈ܶܐ ܐܳܦ ܕܰܫ̈ܠܺܝܚܶܐ ܫܪܳܓܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ ܠܺܝ ܒܚܶܫܽܘܟܳܐ ܟܽܠ ܙܰܕܺܝ̈ܩܶܐ ܣܳܓܶܕ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܠܡܰܢ ܕܰܐܢܗܰܪ ܠܺܝ ܚܶܫܟܳܗ̇ ܕܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܙܺܝܘܶܗ ܕܡܽܘܫܶܐ ܟܡܳܐ ܕܰܗܘܳܐ ܫܶܡܫܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܠܺܝ
English
When he confesses, the father sees the one who gave, that he is not with him. Do not diminish your limbs by your sins, for in Sheol the bones of those who did evil are scattered. Wherever the father sees the body of one of the wicked, the father burns over him and curses, even his memory. And wherever the father sees the bones of one of the righteous, the father exalts and honors, when the father worships. Are you not aware, O weak ones, of all your orders? To you, the secret rites of the blind are in the night. Moses alone knows how to honor the father like me. The bones of Joseph, that father, to him the father magnifies. But Moses honors one pure body. The father, however, honors the bodies and also the bones of all the righteous. The bones of the prophets and also of the apostles have sprouted. They were a lamp to me in the darkness, all the righteous. The father worships the one who showed me the darkness of Sheol. The radiance of Moses, as it was, was a sun to me.
Citation. Tergwame, “Nisibis 63”, dsc-317:1, machine-draft, 2026. https://naxiai.com/christian/works/dsc-317#s1
Colophon. Source: syriac · licence: CC BY 4.0 · model: deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor · provider: Relace · cost: $0.0019 · generated 2026-11-15.