H.F. van Rooy, «The Headings of the Psalms in the East Syriac Tradition Reconsidered», Vol. 89 (2008) 505-525
In the first half of the previous century the headings of the Psalms in the East Syriac tradition received a lot of attention, with important contributions by scholars such as Devreesse and Vosté. In 1960 Bloemendaal published an edition of these headings. Since 1960 a number of important new manuscripts became available, as well as a translation of the commentary of Theodore and a translation of the commentary of Diodore on the first fifty Psalms. This paper deals with the light shed on the history of the East Syrian headings particularly by two manuscripts not available to Bloemendaal. The examples discussed lead one to the conclusion that 6t1, used by Bloemendaal, must not be regarded as the paradigmatic witness in all instances.
508 H.F. van Rooy
linked the origin of the Syriac headings in their different forms to
Christian Fathers (15). In 1885 Baethgen published an important study
on a Syriac version of the commentary of Theodore of Mopsuestia on
the Psalms (16). The beginning of the introduction to the commentary
made it clear that it represents the exegesis of Theodore (17). Theodore
had written his commentary based on the text of the Septuagint, while
this commentary was based on the Peshitta (18). It contained sections
based on the Peshitta where the Peshitta had disagreed with the
Septuagint, making it clear that these sections could not have been
written by Theodore. The commentary did, however, contain many
sections going back directly to Theodore (19).
In his discussion of this manuscript, Baethgen dealt extensively
with the headings of the Psalms, which he regarded in many respects
as the most interesting part of the commentary (20). In his
commentary, Theodore had presented long introductions to each of
the Psalms, giving a summary of his exegesis. The headings of the
individual Psalms in the commentary in the manuscript Sachau 215
were summaries of these introductions of Theodore.
In the second quarter of the twentieth century the research on
Theodore of Mopsuestia, his commentary on the Psalms and the
headings of the Psalms in the Syriac traditions was dominated by two
scholars, Vosté and Devreesse. Each of them published a number of
studies that made a significant contribution to the research on these
topics.
Devreesse published a number of preliminary studies (21), but his
(15) F. BAETHGEN, Untersuchungen über die Psalmen nach der Peschitta
(Kiel 1878) 15. This view is repeated in his study on the text-critical importance
of the ancient version of the Psalms; cf. F. BAETHGEN, “Der textkritische Werth
den alten Uebersetzungen zu den Psalmenâ€, Jahrbuch für protestantische
Theologie 8 (1882) 424.
(16) F. BAETHGEN, “Der Psalmencommentar des Theodorus von Mopsuestia
in syrischer Bearbeitungâ€, ZAW 5 (1885) 53-101.
(17) BAETHGEN, “Psalmencommentarâ€, 53.
(18) Cf. BAETHGEN, “Psalmencommentarâ€, 56-60, for a detailed discussion
of the data supporting this conclusion of Baethgen. For Theodore’s view on the
reliability of the Septuagint, cf. R.B. TER HAAR ROMENY, “The Peshitta and its
Rivals. On the Assessment of the Peshitta and Other Versions of the Old
Testament in Syriac Exegetical Literatureâ€, The Harp 11-12 (1998-1999) 21-23.
(19) BAETHGEN, “Psalmencommentarâ€, 63.
(20) BAETHGEN, “Psalmencommentarâ€, 65.
(21) R. DEVREESSE, “Le Commentaire de Theodore de Mopsueste sur les
Psaumesâ€, RB 37 (1928) 340-366; “Le Commentaire de Theodore de Mopsueste
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