The Life of Mashtots' by His Disciple Koriwn: Translated from the Classical Armenian with Introduction and Commentary by Abraham Terian;

Author:Abraham Terian; [Terian, Abraham]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780192696359
Publisher: Oxford University Press USA
Published: 2022-09-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 2

1. the lives of men made perfect. Arm. zvars arants‘n katarelots‘; as in Gk. teleiōmenoi, the latter term is used for the departed faithful, the dead in Christ, especially the martyred saints (cf. katarelots‘ in 28/27.1 [96.5–6], and katarumn in 27/26.1 and 29/28.1 [92.5; 96.18], with reference to the departed fathers in the author’s bracketing the book literarily). The phrase owes to Heb. 12:23, ‘the spirits of the righteous made perfect’ (Arm. yogis ardarots‘ katarelots‘) in the heavenly Jerusalem (v. 22); cf. Heb. 10:14, on Christ making perfect those who are sanctified.

It is beyond the scope of this brief commentary to go over the concept of ‘perfect men’ in Greek paideia. In biblical terms, the concept appears rarely in the Septuagint (LXX) and the Armenian version of the Bible (Deut. 18:13, on being perfect before God, and 2 Kgs. [2 Sam.] 22:26, on associating with people deemed perfect; Sir. 44:17 LXX, said of Noah). In the Post-Apostolic Fathers, it is said of Esther, being ‘perfect’ in faith (1 Clem. 55.6); Ignatius describes the ‘perfect’ Christians (Ign. Eph. 15.2); and the Didache declares ‘perfect’ those capable of bearing the whole yoke of Christ (Did. 6.2). The Desert Fathers were generally considered ‘perfect men’ for having heeded the call in Matt. 19:21.

On justification to write such an account, to which this entire chapter is dedicated, see Introduction (B).

3. the narrative by Moses. The Pentateuch, Genesis to Deuteronomy.

4. acceptable sacrifice. Alluding to the sacrifice of Abel (Gen. 4:3–12), called ‘righteous’ in Heb. 11:4.

appeared to go on living. Alluding to Enoch (Gen. 5:21–4); cf. Heb. 11:5.

protected in a ship. Alluding to Noah (Gen. 6:9–8:22); cf. Heb. 11:7.

justified through newfound faith. Alluding to Abraham (Gen. 12:1–22:19; cf. Rom. 4:1–22; Heb. 11:8–10).

5. all the books that make God known. The canonical writings regarded as Scripture: the Old Testament canon being the same as that of the Septuagint, including various apocryphal and at times deuterocanonical books such as the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs; and the New Testament canon, including Third Corinthians, unique to the Armenian canon (elsewhere part of the apocryphal Acts of Paul), and excluding the Book of Revelation.

6. names (in the letter) to the Hebrews. Heb. 11:4–32.

Rahab’s hospitality to the spies. Heb. 11:31; cf. Jas. 2:25, recalling Josh. 2:1–21; 6:17, 22–5.

9. Nimrod. The first of the post-Flood heroes in the Genesis table of nations and mythic founder of Babylon (Gen. 10:8–9). The Heb. Bible (MT) has: ‘…a mighty hunter before the Lord.’ The Gk. Bible (LXX) contrarily has: ‘…a mighty hunter against the Lord’; not so the Arm. Bible, which follows the Heb. reading. The negativity stems from Nimrod’s mythic ties to Babylon, the power that opposes God’s people in biblical history.

Samson. Judg. 15:24–16:31.

David. 1 Sam. 16:12–30:31 and 2 Sam. especially.

10. Joseph in Egypt. Gen. 39:1–50:26.

Daniel in Babylon. As recounted in the Book of Daniel.

11. counsellors to mighty kings. Such as Joseph and Daniel, already named, in the service of foreign kings; so too Nehemiah and possibly Ezra. Mordecai in the Book of Esther may also be considered as one in the service of a foreign king.

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