Aphrahat: Selected Demonstrations

upon my vesture did they cast the lot.^{Edition note 2} And Isaiah said:—Lo! My servant shall be known and shall be revealed and shall be lifted up, so that many shall be astonished at Him. As for this man, His visage shall be marred more than that of man, and His aspect more than that of the sons of men.^{Edition note 3} And he said:—He will purify many nations, and kings shall be amazed at Him.^{Edition note 4} And he said in that passage:—He came up as a little child before Him, and as a root from the dry ground.^{Edition note 5} And in the end of the passage he said:—He shall be slain for our sins; He shall be humiliated for our iniquity; the chastisement of our peace is upon Him, and by His bruises shall we be healed.^{Edition note 6} By what wounds were men healed?

David was not slain; for he died in a good old age, and was buried in Bethlehem. And if they should say that it is spoken of Saul, for Saul was killed in the mountains of Gilboa in the battle with the Philistines, and if they should say that they pierced his hands and his feet, when they fastened up his body on the wall of Bethshan; yet it does not fitly apply to Saul. When the limbs of Saul were pierced, his bones were not conscious of suffering, because he was dead. It was after Saul died, that they hanged his body and those of his sons on the wall of Bethshan.

But when David said, They pierced my hands and my feet, and all my bones cried out, he said in the next verse:—O God, abide for my help, and deliver my soul from the sword.^{Edition note 7} Now Christ was delivered from the sword, and ascended from out of Sheol, and revived and rose the third day, and so God abode for His help. But Saul called upon the Lord and He did not answer him; and he asked through the Prophets, but no answer was given to him. And he disguised himself and inquired by soothsayers, and learned from thence.

He was worsted before the Philistines, and he slew himself with his own sword, when he saw that the battle had overcome him. Moreover in this passage David said:—I will declare Thy name unto my brethren, and in the midst of the congregation will I glorify Thee.^{Edition note 8} How can these things apply to Saul? And again David said:—Thou didst not give Thy holy one to see corruption.^{Edition note 9} But all these things fitly apply to Christ. When He came to them, they did not receive Him; but wickedly judged Him by false witness.

And He was hung upon the tree by His hands, and they pierced His hands and His feet with the nails which they fastened in him; and all His bones cried out. And on that day a great prodigy happened. namely, that the light became dark in the middle of the day, as Zechariah prophesied, saying:—The day shall be known unto the Lord. It shall not be daytime, and it shall not be night; and at the evening time there shall be light.^{Edition note 10} Now what is the day that was distinguished by the prodigy, that it was neither daytime nor night, and that at the evening time there was light?

Evidently the day on which they crucified Him, for in the midst of that day there came darkness, and at the evening time there was light. And again he said:—That day there shall be cold and frost.^{Edition note 11}—As thou knowest, on that day on which they crucified Him, it was cold, and they had made them a fire to warm themselves when Simon came and stood with them. And again he said:—The spear shall arise against the shepherd, and against the man, My friend;^{Edition note 12}and it shall smite the shepherd, and the sheep of his flock shall be scattered; and I will turn back My hand upon the pastor.^{Edition note 13} And furthermore David said concerning His Passion:—For My meat they gave gall, and for My thirst did they give Me vinegar to drink.^{Edition note 14}—Again he said in that passage:—They have persecuted Him Whom Thou hast smitten; and have added to the affliction of Him that was slain.

For they added many (afflictions) to Him, much that was not written concerning Him, cursings and revilings, such as the Scripture could not reveal, for their revilings were hateful. But, however, the Lord was pleased to humiliate Him and afflict Him.^{Edition note 15} And He was slain for our iniquity,^{Edition note 16} and was humiliated for our sins, and was made sin in His own person.^{Edition note 17}

11. We worship those mercies, and bow the knee before the Majesty of His Father, Who converted our worship to Him. We call Him God, just as Moses (was called God); and Firstborn, and Son, just as Israel (was called); and Jesus (Joshua), just as Joshua the son of Nun was so called; and Priest like Aaron, and King, like David; and great Prophet, like all the Prophets; and Shepherd, like the shepherds who tended and guided Israel. And so did He call children as He said:—Strange children shall hearken unto Me.^{Edition note 18} And He has made us brothers unto Himself, He said:—I will declare Thy name unto My brethren.^{Edition note 19} And we have become friends unto Him, as He said to His disciples:—I have called you friends,^{Edition note 20} even as His Father called Abraham My friend.^{Edition note 21} And He said unto us:—I am the good Shepherd, the Door, the Way, the Vine, the Sower, the Bridegroom, the Pearl, the Lamp, the Light, the King, God, Saviour, and Redeemer. And by many names is He surnamed.

12. This brief argument have I written unto thee, my beloved, that thou mayest make defence against the Jews, concerning this that they say, that God has no son, and concerning this that we call Him God, the Son of God, King, and Firstborn of all creatures.^{Edition note 22}