Sárospataki Füzetek 16. (2012)
2012 / 3-4. szám - TANULMÁNYOK - Jaap Dekker: A Szolga és a szolgák Ézsaiás próféta könyvében
JACOB j. T. DOEDENS The theologian Ephrem the Syrian52 also considers the ‘sons of God’ to be Sethites who “suddenly yielded to sin”.53 These Sethites lived—in the view of Ephrem—on the slope of a mountain, still close to the fence of Paradise. The Cainites, however, lived in the lower countries, far from Paradise.54 According to Ephrem in his commentary on Gen 4:23—24, the curse on Cain would come into effect only after the seventh generation. Indeed, Ephrem explains, after the seventh generation only girls were born to the Cainites, which meant that the Cainite generation would come to a halt. Therefore the Cainites deliberately made their daughters attractive for the sons of Seth, to safeguard the continuation of their people, and in such a way to outplay the punishment on Cain. The Cainites expected to receive grace instead of the promised punishment by mixing with the Sethites. Up till then, Ephrem notes, the Sethites were not willing to connect with the Cainites, therefore Lamech killed Cain and one of Cain’s sons,55 in order to remove the main barrier between the two peoples. The plan turned out to be successful, not little helped by the animal meat they offered them to eat and by the music they played for them: the sons of Seth left their higher country, and descended to the Cainite girls.56 Eusebius of Emesa57 gives the same explanation of the expression ‘sons of God’ in Gen 6:1—4.58 Because Eusebius of Emesa was a Syrian who came from Edessa, yet studied successively in Caesarea, Antiochia and Alexandria, he may well have been a link between early Syriac and Antiochian exegesis, as well as an intermediary connection with the Alexandrian tradition.59 In any case, his contemporary in the Alexandrian School, Athanasius,60 opts R Brock, “Early Syrian Ascetism,” Numen 20 no. 1 (1973): 2-13. 52 Ca. 306—373, born in Nisibis, Nusaybin in modem Turkey, studied at the School of Nisibis, founded when Christianity reached the city. After the city was ceded to the Persians, Ephrem joined the exodus of Christians to Edessa, where he became teacher and ascetic. Ephrem was present at the council of Nicea in 325 as personal assistant ofhis bishop. Cf. NPNF1 13:197—225 53 Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on the Nativity 1:22. Cf. Fran5ois Graffin and Francis Cassinge- na-Trévedy, eds., Ephrem de Nisibe: Hymnes sur la nativité (SC 459; Paris: Cerf, 2001), 33. 54 Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Paradise 1:11. Cf. René Lavenant and Francois Graffin, eds., Ephrem de Nisibe: Hymnes sur leparadis (SC 137; Paris: Cerf, 1968), 40. 55 Ephrem’s explanation of Gen 4:23 in which Lamech is reported to say: “I killed a man for wounding me and a young man for striking me.” 56 Cf. A. G. P Janson and L. Van Rompay, Efrem de Syrier: Uitleg van het boek Genesis (Kämpen: Kok, 1993), 53-55. The same view is expressed in the Cave of Treasures, SpTh 6:1-23, cf. Alexander Toe- pel, Die Adam- und Seth-Legenden im Syrischen ‘Buch der Schatzhöhle’: Ein quellenkritische Untersuchung (CSCO 618; Leuven: Peeters, 2006), 205-207. Cav. Tr. is dated to the late sixth, early seventh century, cf. Toepel, Adam- und Setb-Legenden, 6. 57 Ca. 300—ca. 359, representative of the so-called Antiochene school. Cf. S. Müller-Abels in Lexikon der antiken christlichen Literatur (ed. Siegmar Döpp and Wilhelm Geerlings, Freiburg: Flerder, 1998), 215-216. 58 Cf. Eusebius of Emesa, Fragmenta exegetica in Pentateuchum, II (PG 86:556). 59 Cf. A. G. P. Janson and L. Van Rompay, Efrem de Syrier: Uitleg van het boek Genesis (Kämpen: Kok, 1993), 22—23; R. B. ter Haar Romeny, A Syrian in Greek Dress: The Use of Greek, Hebrew, and Syriac Biblical Texts in Eusebius ofEmesa’s Commentary on Genesis (TEG; Leuven: Peeters, 1997), 3. 60 Ca. 296-373. Pupil of the Alexandrian School, bishop of Alexandria, attended the council of Nicea 54 SÁROSPATAKI FÜZETEK2032, 3-4
