Justin Martyr: Dialogue with Trypho

This Xystus, on the authority of Euseb. (iv. 18), was at Ephesus. There, Philostratus mentions, Appolonius was wont to have disputations.— Otto .

Euseb. (iv. 11): “Justin, in philosopher’s garb, preached the word of God.”

In jest, no doubt, because quoting a line from Homer, Il. , vi. 123. τίς δὲ σύ ἐσσι, φέριστε, καταθνητῶν ἀνθρώπων .

[i.e., “A Hebrew of the Hebrews” ( Phil. iii. 5 ).]

The war instigated by Bar Cochba.

The opinions of Stoics.— Otto .

The Platonists.

ὧ some omit, and put θεῷ of prev. cl. in this cl., reading so: “Philosophy is the greatest possession, and most honourable, and introduces us to God,” etc.

Maranus thinks that those who are different from the masters of practical philosophy are called Theoretics . I do not know whether they may be better designated Sceptics or Pyrrhonists .— Otto .

Julian, Orat. , vi., says: “Let no one divide our philosophy into many parts, or cut it into many parts, and especially let him not make many out of one : for as truth is one, so also is philosophy.”

Either Flavia Neapolis is indicated, or Ephesus.— Otto .

Narrating his progress in the study of Platonic philosophy, he elegantly employs this trite phrase of Plato’s.— Otto .

Philology, used here to denote the exercise of reason .

Philology, used here to denote the exercise of speech . The two-fold use of λόγος — oratio and ratio —ought to be kept in view. The old man uses it in the former, Justin in the latter, sense.

“Beside.”

Otto says: If the old man begins to speak here, then ἔχει must be read for ἔχειν . The received text makes it appear that Justin continues a quotation, or the substance of it, from Plato.

According to one interpretation, this clause is applied to God: “If you believe in God, seeing He is not indifferent to the matter,” etc. Maranus says that it means: A Jew who reads so much of Christ in the Old Testament, cannot be indifferent to the things which pertain to Him.

Literally: having become perfect. Some refer the words to perfection of character; some initiation by baptism.

Latin version, “beloved Pompeius.”

According to another reading, “I did not leave .”

Editors suppose that Justin inserts a long parenthesis here, from “for” to “Egypt.” It is more natural to take this as an anacoluthon. Justin was going to say, “But now we trust through Christ,” but feels that such a statement requires preliminary explanation.

According to the LXX, Isa. li. 4, 5 .

Jer. xxxi. 31, 32 .

Isa. lv. 3 ff. according to LXX.

Not in Jeremiah; some would insert, in place of Jeremiah, Isaiah or John. [St. John xii. 40 ; Isa. vi. 10 ; where see full references in the English margin. But comp. Jer. vii. 24, 26 , Jer. xi. 8 , and Jer. xvii. 23 .]

1 Cor. x. 4 . Otto reads: which he mentioned and which was for those who repented.

Three times in Justin, not in LXX.

Deviating slightly from LXX., omitting a clause.

LXX. “ not as,” etc.

LXX. “ not as,” etc.

Isa. lii. 10 ff. following LXX. on to liv. 6.

Isa. lv. 3 to end.

ἱμάτια ; some read ἰάματα , as in LXX., “thy health,” the better reading probably.

Isa. lviii. 1–12 .

Deut. x. 16 f.

Lev. xxvi. 40, 41 .

See Apol. , i. 47. The Jews [By Hadrian’s recent edict] were prohibited by law from entering Jerusalem on pain of death. And so Justin sees in circumcision their own punishment.

Isa. lvii. 1–4 .

Isa. lii. 5 .

Isa. iii. 9 ff.

Isa. v. 18, 20 .

Matt. xxi. 13 .

This and following quotation taken promiscuously from Matt. xxiii. and Luke xi.

Hos. i. and Hos. ii.

[They did not Sabbatize ; but Justin does not deny what is implied in many Scriptures, that they marked the week, and noted the seventh day. Gen. ii. 3 , Gen. viii. 10, 12 .]

Ezek. xx. 12 .

Ex. xxxii. 6 .

Deut. xxxii. 15 .

νεκριμαῖον , or “dieth of itself;” com. reading was ἐκριμαῖον , which was supposed to be derived from ἐκρίπτω , and to mean “which ought to be cast out:” the above was suggested by H. Stephanus.

ἄὸικος καὶ παράνομος .

“The reasoning of St. Justin is not quite clear to interpreters. As we abstain from some herbs, not because they are forbidden by law, but because they are deadly; so the law of abstinence from improper and violent animals was imposed not on Noah, but on you as a yoke on account of your sins.”— Maranus .

Deut. xxxii. 6, 20 .

Ezek. xx. 19–26 .

Amos v. 18 to end, Amos vi. 1–7 .

Jer. vii. 21 f.

Ps. l. (in E. V.).

Isa. lxvi. 1 .

The man he met by the sea-shore.

Josh. v. 2 ; Isa. xxvi. 2, 3 .

Isa. lxv. 1–3 .

Isa. lxv. 1–3 .

Other edd. have, “with us.”

Otto reads: “Thy works which Thou shalt do to those who wait for mercy.”

Some suppose the correct reading to be, “our glorious institutions [manners, customs, or ordinances] have,” etc., ἔθη for ἔθνη .

Isa. lxiii. 15 to end, and Isa. lxiv.

Isa. xlii. 6, 7 .

συσσεισμόν , “a shaking,” is the original reading; but LXX has σύσσημον , a standard or signal, and this most edd. adopt.

Isa. lxii. 10 to end, Isa. lxiii. 1–6 .

Isa. lviii. 13, 14 .

Isa. iii. 16 .

Various passages strung together; comp. Rom. iii. 10 , and foll. verses.

Jer. iv. 3 .

So in A.V., but supposed to be Idumæa.

Jer. ix. 25 f.

Mal. i. 10 , etc.

Ps. xviii. 43 .

[This striking claim of the Old Testament Scriptures is noteworthy.]

Or, “repentance of the Father;” πατρός for πνεύματος . Maranus explains the confusion on the ground of the similarity between the contractions for the words, πρς and πνς .

Ps. xix.

Literally, “And the ten horns, ten kings shall arise after them.”

Dan. vii. 9–28 .

Isa. xxix. 14 .

Ps. cx.

πληρώσει πτώματα ; Lat. version, implebit ruinas . Thirlby suggested that an omission has taken place in the mss. by the transcriber’s fault.

πεπήρωνται . Maranus thinks πεπώρωνται more probable, “hardened.”

Ps. lxxii.

[A striking passage in De Maistre ( Œuvres , vol. vi. p. 275) is worthy of comparison.]

Matt. vii. 15 .

1 Cor. xi. 19 .

Matt. vii. 15 .

Matt. xxiv. 11 .

Maranus remarks from Thirlby: “As Justin wrote a little before, ‘and is called Jacob in parable,’ it seems to convince us that Justin wrote, ‘thy face, O Jacob.’ ” [The meaning in this latter case becomes plain, if we observe that “O Israel” is equivalent to, and means, “O house of Jacob:” an apostrophe to the Church of the ancient people.]

Ps. xxiv.

Ps. xlvii. 5–9 . [The diapsalm is here used for what follows the “Selah.”]

“For” wanting in both Codd.

Ps. xcix.

[Hebrew and Greek, “a good word,” i.e., the Logos.]

Or, “God, thy God.”

στακτή .

Literally, “garments of gold, variegated.”

Literally, “of a hard-hearted opinion.”

1 Kings xix. 14, 18 .

ὦ οὑτος . [Or, Look you, listen!]

Literally, “carry us captive.”

Ps. lxviii. 19 .

Isa. v. 21 .

Contrasting either Catholics with heretics, or Christians with Jews. [Note this word Catholic , as here used in its legitimate primitive sense.]

Some think this particularly refers to the paschal lamb, others to any lamb which is roasted.

Literally, “cords.”

Chap. xv.

Literally, “overthrowing with a perfect overthrow.”

Chap. xxviii.

Mal. i. 10–12 .

Or, “being the first.”

Ex. xxviii. 33 gives no definite number of bells. Otto presumes Justin to have confounded the bells and gems, which were twelve in number.

Ps. xix. 4 .

Isa. liii. 1, 2 .

Chap. xiii.

ἐκκλησία Lat. vers. has conventus .

Literally, “to the discourse in order.”

Chap. xiii.

Or, “was I led.”

Isa. liii. 8 .

Literally, “He was in the world, being born.”

See Chap. lxvi.

Literally, “disobeys evil” ( ἀπειθεῖ πονηρά ). Conjectured: ἀπωθεῖ , and ἀπειθεῖ πονηρία .

The mss. of Justin read, “shall be taken:” καταληφθήσεται . This is plainly a mistake for καταλειφθήσεται ; but whether the mistake is Justin’s or the transcribers’, it would be difficult to say, as Thirlby remarks.

The rendering of this doubtful: literally, “from the face of the two kings,” and the words might go with “shall be forsaken.”

Isa. vii. 10–17 with Isa. viii. 4 inserted. The last clause may also be translated, “in which He took away from Judah Ephraim, even the king of Assyria.”

i.e., of Abraham’s seed.

Justin distinguishes between such essential acts as related to God’s worship and the establishment of righteousness, and such ceremonial observances as had a mere temporary significance. The recognition of this distinction he alleges to be necessary to salvation: necessary in this sense, that justification must be placed not on the latter, but on the former; and without such recognition, a Jew would, as Justin says, rest his hopes on his noble descent from Abraham.

More probably, “or on account of,” etc.

In Bible, “Job;” Maranus prefers “Jacob,” and thinks the mention of his name very suitable to disprove the arrogant claims of Jacob’s posterity.

Ezek. xiv. 20 .

Isa. lxvi. 24 .

Some refer this to Christ’s baptism. See Cyprian, Adv. Jud. i. 24.— Otto .

It, i.e., the law, or “what in the law,” etc.