The Greek Ode of Solomon Greek-English Interlinear
Greek-English interlinear edition of the Greek Ode of Solomon from Papyrus Bodmer XI. (ref)
Embedded PDF Source
Full Source Text
The Greek Ode of Solomon
Alfred Adam, “Die ursprüngliche Sprache der Salomo-Oden,”
Illustrated Greek-English Interlinear Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft, 52.3-4 (1961), 141-156.
James H. Charlesworth, ed., Papyri and Leather Manuscripts of the Odes
by Mark M. Mattison of Solomon (Dickerson Series of Facsimilies of Manuscripts Important
for Christian Origins 1; Durham, N.C.: International Center for the
Study of Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations and Christian Origins,
This illustrated Greek-English interlinear reproduces pages 57
Duke University, 1981).
through 61 of the Papyrus Bodmer XI, a third- or fourth-century
Michael Lattke, Die Oden Salomos in ihrer Bedeutung für Neues
Greek papyrus found in 1952 near Dishna, Egypt and currently
Testament und Gnosis, Vol. 1 (Fribourg: Academic Press; Göttingen:
conserved in the Bodmer Library in Cologny, Switzerland.
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1979).
The Papyrus Bodmer XI is noteworthy as the only extant Greek
Idem, Odes of Solomon: A Commentary (Hermeneia; Minneapolis:
manuscript of any of the Odes of Solomon. It preserves Ode 11, here
Fortress, 2009).
simply titled “An Ode of Solomon.” The images below are from the
William R. Schoedel, “Some Readings in the Greek Ode of
Bodmer Lab (https://bodmerlab.unige.ch/fr), used by permission of
Solomon (Ode XI),” The Journal of Theological Studies, 33.1 (1982), 175-
the Fondation Martin Bodmer, Cologny (Geneva).
182.
Particularly noteworthy is the presence of several lines (vv. 16c-h
and 22b) which are not found in the Syriac. This type of divergence
Sigla
affords unique opportunities to consider the relationship between the
Greek and the Syriac Odes, a question with which scholars have long
[ ] Reconstructed text
struggled.
( ) Letters not included but implied
For example, where the Greek reads “everything is according to
< > Editorial correction of a scribal error
your will” in 11:22a, the Syriac reads “everything became like your
{ } Letter erroneously added by the scribe
remnant.” Which reading is original to the Ode? Both tropes are
amply attested in Semitic contexts. If thelēma (“will”) was meant as a ‘ ’ Letter inserted over the line by the scribe
pun on leimma (“remnant”), the variants may have been intentional. In Footnote indicated by the scribe
ancient texts, variations between original and translated manuscripts
were normal. Therefore, if the author was bilingual, composing the Particular thanks are due to Samuel Zinner for his invaluable
first version in Syriac and then rendering it into Greek, both readings assistance on key points, especially his proposed emendation in v. 22b.
could be equally valid, with no need to emend one to conform to the
other. This document was first published on-line on June 11, 2020, and
The following sources were principally consulted in the creation of updated March 14, 2021. Please forward notices of errors or suggested
this illustrated Greek-English interlinear: corrections to:
--- Page Break ---
Papyrus Bodmer XI,57
ᾠδὴ Σολοµῶν‘τ’ος
Ode of Solomon
(1a) περ{ε}ιετµήθη ἡ καρδία µου καὶ ἐφάνη
circumcised the heart of me and appeared
τὸ ἄνθος αὐτῆς (1b) ‘ἡ χάρις’ ἐν αὐτῇ ἐβ’λ’άστησεν
the flower of it the grace in it sprouted
(1c) [κ]αὶ ἐκαρποϕόρησεν τῷ θ(ε)ῷ (2a) ὁ ὕψιστως
and bore fruit to God the Most High
περιέτεµέν µε τῷ ἁγίῳ πν(εύµατ)ι αὐτοῦ
circumcised me the holy spirit of him
(2b) καὶ ἐγύµνωσε’α’ πρὸς αὐτόν τοὺς
and laid bare toward himself the
νεφρ<ο>ύς µου // (2c) καὶ ἐπλήρωσέν µε τῆς
kidneys of me and filled me the
ἀγάπης αὐτοῦ // (3a) ἐγένετό µοι εἰς σω−
love of him became to me for
τηρίαν ἡ περειτοµὴ αὐτοῦ (vacat)
salvation the circumcision of him
(3b) ἔδ{εδ}ραµον ὁδὸν ἀληθ<ε>ίας ἐν ἰρήνῃ αὐτο[ῦ]
I ran way of truth in peace of him
(4) ἀπ’ ἀρχης ἔως τέλους ἔλαβον τὴν σύ−
from beginning to the end I received the
νεσιν αὐτοῦ / (5a) ἐστηρίχθην ἀπὸ
understanding of him I was set firmly
[σ]τερεᾶς πέτρας (5b) ὅπου µε συνκεκά−θικεν
firm rock where me he set
--- Page Break ---
Papyrus Bodmer XI,58
(6a) καὶ τὸ [ὕ]δωρ τὸ λαλοῦν ἤγγι[σε]
and the water the speaking drew near
πρὸς τὰ χείλη µου / (6b) ἀπὸ πηγῆς
to the lips of me from spring
ζοῆς κ(υρίο)υ ἐν ἀϕθονίᾳ αὐτοῦ /
life Lord in lack of envy of him
(7) ἔπιον καὶ ἐµεθύσθην ὕδωρ τὸ ἀ−
I drank and became drunk water the
θάνατον / (8a) καὶ ἡ µέθη µου οὐκ ἐγέ−
undying and the drunkenness of me not
νετο εἰς ἀλογιστίαν / (8b) ἀλλ’ ἐξετρά-
was to irrationality but I turned back
πην τῶν µατ{ε}<αί>ων (9a) ἐπὶ τὸν ὕψισ−
The vanities to the Most High
τον θ(εό)ν µου / (9b) καὶ ἐπλούτησα
God of me and became rich
ἐν χαρ{ε}ίσµατι αὐτοῦ // (10a) ἀϕῆκα τὴν
by gracious gift of him I left the
ἀϕροσύνην χαµ{ε}<αὶ> κειµένην /
folly earth lying
(10b) ἀπε{ριψα}δυσάµην αὐτὴν καὶ
I stripped off it and
ἔρ<ρ>ιψα ἀπ’ ἐµοῦ / (11a) ὁ κ(ύριο)ς ἐνεκ{ε}<αί>νισέν
cast from me the Lord renewed
µε ἐν τῷ ἐνδύµατι αὐτοῦ / (11b) καὶ
me by the garment of him and
ἀνεκτήσατό µε τῷ ϕωτὶ αὐτοῦ
regained me the light of him
(12a) καὶ ἀνεζωοποίησεν µε τῇ ἀ−
and recalled to life me the
ϕθαρσίᾳς αὐτοῦ / (12b) ἐγενόµην ὡς
imperishability of him I became as
ἡ γῆ θά<λ>λουσα καὶ γελ{ου}<ῶ>σα τοῖς καρ−ποῖς αὐτῆς /
the earth flourishes and rejoices the fruits of it
--- Page Break ---
Papyrus Bodmer XI,59
(13) [κα]ὶ ὁ κ(ύριό)ς µου ἐγένετο ὡς ὁ ἤλιος ἐπὶ
and the Lord to me became as the sun upon
πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς / (14a) ἔστιλβον
face of the earth shone
οἰ ὀϕθαλµοί µου (14b) καὶ ἐδροσίσθη
the eyes of me and was bedewed
τὸ πρόσωπόν µου // (15) ηὐϕράνθη
the face of me was gladdened
ἡ ἀναπνοή µου ἐν εὐωδίᾳ
the breath of me by fragrance
χρηστότητος κ(υρίο)υ / (16a1) καὶ <ἐ>πήγαγέν µε
kindness of (the) Lord and he led me
(16b2) [τ]ρυϕῆς κ(υρίο)υ (16c) ἐθεασάµην δένδρα ὡρ{ε}<αῖ>α
Delight of (the) Lord I saw trees beautiful
καὶ καρποϕόρα /// (16d) καὶ αὐτο{σ}ϕυ
and fruitful and grown naturally
ής ἧν ὁ στέϕανος αὐτῶν /
was the wreath of them
(16e) θάλλει τὰ ξύλα αὐτῶν καὶ ἐγέλω(ν)
flourishes the timber of them and rejoiced
οἱ καρποὶ αὐτῶν / (16f) ἀπὸ ἀθανάτου
the fruits of them from undying
γῆς αἱ ῥ{ε}ίζαι αὐτῶν / (16g) καὶ ‘ὁ’ ποτα−
earth the roots of them and the river
µὸς χαρᾶς ἐπότιζεν αὐτάς /
of joy watered them
(16h) καὶ κύκλῳ τῆς γῆς ζ{ο}<ω>ῆς {ε}<αἰ>ωνίας
and around the earth life eternal
αὐτῶν / (17) προσεκύνησα τὸν κ(ύρι)ον
of them I worshipped the Lord
ἔνεκα τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ ///
because the glory of him
(16a2) εἰς παράδ<ε>ισον αὐτοῦ / (16b1) ὅπου ὁ πλοῦτος τῆς
into paradise of him where the fullness the
--- Page Break ---
Papyrus Bodmer XI,60
(18a) κ[αὶ] εἶπα κ(ύρι)ε µακάρ{ε}ιοι οἱ πεϕυτευµ[έ]−
and said Lord blessed the planted
νιοι ἐπεὶ τῆς γῆς / (18b) οἱ ἔχοντες τό−
upon the earth those have place
πον ἐν τῷ παρα{ζ}<δε>ίσῳ σου / (19a) καὶ αὐ−
in the paradise of you and
ξανόµενοι ἐν τῇ αὐξήσει τῶν
sprout in the growth of the
δένδρων σου / (19b) µεταβληθέντες
trees of you turned
ἀπὸ σκότους εἰς τὸ ϕῶς / (20a) ἱδοὺ οἱ ἐρ−
from darkness to the light behold the
γαζόµενοί σου καλοί (20b) µεταβολὰς
workers of you good transformations
ποιοῦσιν ἀγαθάς /// // (21a) ἀπὸ τῆς πονηρίας
make good from the evil
εἰς χρηστότητα /// (21b) µεταλ<λ>άσσετ{ε}<αι>
to kindness changed
τὸ πικρὸν τῶν ϕυτῶν ἐν τη γῆ σου
the bitterness the plants in the earth of you
(22a) καὶ γ{ε}ίνετ{ε}<αι> τὰ πάντα ὡς τὸ θέληµα
and becomes the all as the will
σου / (22b) εὐλογηµένοι οἱ {δρῶστες}< ὁρῶοντες> τῶν
of you blessed the seers the
ὑδά{δ}των σου /// (22c) καὶ µν<ε>ίαι αἰών{ε}ιαι
waters of you and memories eternal
τῶν πειστῶν τῶν δούλων σου /
the faithful the servants of you
(23a) πολ{λ}ὺς ὁ τόπος τοῦ παραδ<ε>ίσου σου /
generous the place the paradise of you
(23b) καὶ ἀργεῖ οὐδέν (23c) ἀλλὰ καὶ καρπο−ϕορεῖ
and fallow not but even fruitful
--- Page Break ---
Papyrus Bodmer XI,{62}<61>
(24a) δόξα σοι τῷ θ(ε)ῷ (24b) παραδ<ε>ίσω σου
glory to you God by paradise of you
τρυϕῆς {ε}<αἰ>ωνιας / ἁλληλουϊά ////
delight eternal hallelujah
--- Page Break ---
References
- Mark M. Mattison, "The Greek Ode of Solomon Greek-English Interlinear." Academia.edu. The Greek Ode of Solomon Greek-English Interlinear (download: Direct Download).
- Greek-English interlinear edition of the Greek Ode of Solomon from Papyrus Bodmer XI.
- Academia page: The Greek Ode of Solomon Greek-English Interlinear.
- Direct download: Direct Download.