Justin Martyr: Dialogue with Trypho

Those who live after Christ.

“Eternal,” i.e., as the Jew thinks.

Literally, “put you out of countenance.”

Num. xv. 38 .

Deut. vi. 6 .

Literally, “importuning.”

“Or, Are there not some,” etc.

The text seems to be corrupt. Otto reads: “Do anathematize those who put their trust in this very Christ so as to obtain salvation,” etc.

Ezek. xxxiii. 11–20 .

[Comp. St. John xii. 47, 48 .] Grabius thinks this taken from the [apocryphal] Gospel according to the Hebrews. It is not in the New or Old Testament. [Query. Is it not, rather, one of the traditional sayings preserved among early Christians?]

Comp. Isa. xxix. 13 .

Or, “such a man.”

Some read, “of your race,” referring to the Ebionites . Maranus believes the reference is to the Ebionites, and supports in a long note the reading “our,” inasmuch as Justin would be more likely to associate these Ebionites with Christians than with Jews, even though they were heretics.

Langus translates: “Nor would, indeed, many who are of the same opinion as myself say so.”

[Note this emphatic testimony of primitive faith.]

Mal. iv. 5 .

Matt. iii. 11, 12 .

Literally, “cousin.”

Matt. xvii. 12 .

Num. xi. 17 , spoken of the seventy elders. Justin confuses what is said here with Num. xxvii. 18 and Deut. xxxiv. 9 .

The meaning is, that no division of person took place. Elijah remained the same after as before his spirit was shed on John.

Literally, “fruit.”

Isa. xxxix. 8 .

Isa. xl. 1–17 .

Chap. xxv.

“Are willing.”

Matt. xi. 12–15 .

[ Gen. xlix. 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 18, 24 . These texts are frequently referred to by Justin.]

Or, “in comparison of.”

Gen. xlix. 8–12 .

ἀφ’ οὗ ; many translated “under whom,” as if ἐφ’ οὗ . This would be erroneous. Conjectured also ἔφυγε for ἔπαθεν .

Zech. ix. 9 .

Zech. xiii. 7 .

Literally, “inquired into.”

Deut. iv. 19 , an apparent [i.e., evident] misinterpretation of the passage. [But see St. John x. 33–36 .]

Or, “misusing.”

Ps. xcvi. 5 .

Com. reading, “you;” evidently wrong.

Literally, “for.”

Two constructions, “which” referring either to Scriptures as whole, or to what he records from them. Last more probable.

Gen. xviii. 1, 2 .

Gen. xix. 27, 28 ; “and so on” inserted probably not by Justin, but by some copyist, as is evident from succeeding words.

Some, “besides;” but probably as above.

Or, “going away, departed.”

Gen. xviii. 10 .

Gen. xxi. 9–12 .

Or, “Messenger.” [The “Jehovah-angel” of the Pentateuch, passim .] In the various passages in which Justin assigns the reason for Christ being called angel or messenger, Justin uses also the verb ἀγγέλλω , to convey messages, to announce. The similarity between ἄγγελος and ἀγγέλλω cannot be retained in English, and therefore the point of Justin’s remarks is lost to the English reader.

Some supply, “or said.”

Gen. xix. 23 .

Or, “We must of necessity think, that besides the one of the two angels who came down to Sodom, and whom the Scripture by Moses calls Lord, God Himself appeared to Abraham.”

This passage is rather confused: the translation is necessarily free, but, it is believed, correct. Justin’s friend wishes to make out that two distinct individuals are called Lord or God in the narrative.

Ps. cx. 1 .

Ps. xlv. 6, 7 .

[Note again the fidelity of Justin to this principle, and the fact that in no other way could a Jew be persuaded to listen to a Christian. Acts xvii. 11 .]

Gen. xviii. 13, 14 .

Gen. xviii. 16, 17 .

Literally, “is multiplied.”

Gen. xviii. 20–23 .

Comp. Note 2, p. 223.

Gen. xviii. 33 , Gen. xix. 1 .

Gen. xix. 10 .

Literally, “I have admired thy face.”

Gen. xix. 16–25 .

Literally, “hear.”

Literally, “for this sake.” [Note here and elsewhere the primitive rule as to the duty of all men to search the Scriptures.]

Or, “speak otherwise.”

Literally, “in the place of God.”

Gen. xxxi. 10–13 .

Some read, “a man.”

Literally, “the face of God.”

Gen. xxxii. 22–30 .

Gen. xxxv. 6–10 .

Or, “Beersheba.”

So, LXX. and N.T.; Heb. “Haran.”

Literally, “was set up.”

Gen. xxviii. 10–19 . [ Οὐλαμλοὺζ . Sept . Luz Eng .]

Some conjecture “Jacob,” others insert “Jacob” after “Isaac.” [ Gen. xxii. The Jehovah-angel was seen no doubt by Isaac, as well as by his father.]

Ex. ii. 23 .

Ex. iii. 16 .

Ex. iii. 2–4 .

Gen. xxxv. 7 .

Literally, “judgment.”

Or, “in the beginning, before all creatures.” [Justin’s reference to Josh. i. 13–15 deserves special consideration; for he supposes that the true Joshua ( Jesus ) was the substance, and the true “captain of salvation,” of whom this one was but a shadow ( Heb. iv. 8 , margin ), type, and pledge. See cap. lxii.]

The act of will or volition is on the part of the Father.

Or, “Do we not see,” etc.

The word, λόγος translated “word,” means both the thinking power or reason which produces ideas and the expression of these ideas. And Justin passes here from the one meaning to the other. When we utter a thought, the utterance of it does not diminish the power of thought in us, though in one sense the thought has gone away from us.

The mss. of Justin read “sleeping,” but this is regarded as the mistake of some careless transcriber.

Prov. viii. 21 ff.

Justin, since he is of opinion that the Word is the beginning of the universe, thinks that by these words, “in the beginning,” Moses indicated the Word, like many other writers. Hence also he says in Ap. i. 23 , that Moses declares the Word “to be begotten first by God.” If this explanation does not satisfy, read, “with regard to Him whom I have pointed out” (Maranus).

Gen. i. 26, 28 .

Gen. iii. 22 .

Heresy or sect.

Or, “among us.” Maranus pronounces against this latter reading for the following reasons: (1.) The Jews had their own heresies which supplied many things to the Christian heresies, especially to Menander and Saturninus. (2.) The sect which Justin here refutes was of opinion that God spoke to angels. But those angels, as Menander and Saturninus invented, “exhorted themselves, saying, Let us make,” etc. (3.) The expression διδάσκαλοι suits the rabbins well. So Justin frequently calls them. (4.) Those teachers seem for no other cause to have put the words in the angels’ mouths than to eradicate the testimony by which they proved divine persons.

Josh. v. 13 ad fin., and Josh.vi. 1, 2 .

Isa. liii. 8 .

Note this beautiful rendering, Ps. cx. 3 .

Ps. cx. 4 .

Or, “to us.”

ἄνωθεν ; in Lat. vers. antiquitus , which Maranus prefers.

Literally, “garments of gold, variegated.”

Ps. xlv. 6–11 .

The incarnation, etc.

“Being so,” literally.

Literally, “but only sharpen yourselves to say something.”

[Or, “this one.”]

Ps. xcix. 1–7 .

Or, “to judge,” as in chap. xxxiv.

Ps. lxxii. 1 , etc.

Ps. xix. 1–6 .

Literally, “importuned.”

Isa. xlii. 8 .

Literally, “fixed.”

Or, “ye islands which sail on it;” or without “continually.”

Isa. xlii. 5–13 .

Chap. xliii.

ἣν , which is in chap. xliii., is here omitted, but ought to be inserted without doubt.

Isa. vii. 10–17 , with Isa. viii. 4 inserted between vers. 16 and 17.

We have not seen that Justin admitted this; but it is not to be supposed that the passage where he did admit it has been lost, as Perionius suspected; for sometimes Justin refers to passages at other places, which he did not relate in their own place. — Maranus .

[Note the courteous admission of Trypho, and the consent of both parties to the duty of searching the Scriptures.]

τέως : Vulg. παρὰ Θεῷ , vitiose . — Otto .

The text is corrupt, and various emendations have been proposed.

Or, “and to be worshipped as God.”

Or, “an ass.” The ass was sacred to Bacchus; and many fluctuate between οἶνον and ὄνον .

Ps. xix. 5 .

Isa. xxxv. 1–7 .

The text here has ταῦτα ποιῆσαι ὁμοίως . Maranus suggests ᾽Ησαίου for ποιῆσαι ; and so we have translated.

Justin says that the priests of Mithras imitated all the words of Isaiah about to be quoted; and to prove it, is content with a single example, namely, the precepts of righteousness, which they were wont to relate to him, as in these words of Isaiah: “He who walks in righteousness,” etc. Justin omitted many other passages, as easy and obvious. For since Mithras is the same as fire, it manifestly answers to the fire of which Isaiah speaks. And since Justin reminded them who are initiated, that they are said to be initiated by Mithras himself, it was not necessary to remind them that the words of Isaiah are imitated in this: “You shall see the King with glory.” Bread and water are referred to by Isaiah: so also in these mysteries of Mithras, Justin testifies that bread and a cup of water are placed before them (Apol. i.).— Maranus .

i.e., the devils.

i.e., the priests of Mithras.

Isa. xxxiii. 13–19 .

Literally, “to do,” ποιεῖν . [The horrible charge of banqueting on blood, etc., constantly repeated against Christians, was probably based on the Eucharist. See Kaye’s Illustrations from Tatian, Athenagorus, and Theoph. Antioch. , cap. ix. p. 153.]

Literally, “to do,” ποιεῖν . [The horrible charge of banqueting on blood, etc., constantly repeated against Christians, was probably based on the Eucharist. See Kaye’s Illustrations