Pistis Sophia 33.1 · 33.1

Who has ears to hear

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Ⲍ ⲁⲥϣⲱⲡⲉ ϭⲉ ⲉⲣⲉⲓ̅ⲥ̅ ϫⲱ ⲛ̅ⲛⲉⲓ̈ϣⲁϫⲉ ⲉⲛⲉϥⲙⲁⲑⲏⲧⲏⲥ ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲛⲁⲩ ϫⲉⲡⲁⲓ̈ ⲡⲉ ⲫⲩⲙⲛⲟⲥ ⲉⲛⲧⲁⲥϫⲟⲟϥ ⲛ̅ϭⲓⲧⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥ ⲥⲟⲫⲓⲁ· ϩⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲥϣⲟⲣⲡ̅ ⲙ̅ⲙⲉⲧⲁⲛⲟⲓⲁ· ⲉⲥⲙⲉⲧⲁⲛⲟⲓ̈ ⲉⲧⲃⲉⲡⲉⲥⲛⲟⲃⲉ· ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲥϫⲱ ⲛ̅ϩⲱⲃ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲙ̅ⲙⲟⲥ· ⲧⲉⲛⲟⲩ ϭⲉ ⲡⲉⲧⲉⲟⲩⲛ̅ⲙⲁⲁϫⲉ ⲙ̅ⲙⲟϥ ⲉⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ ⲙⲁⲣⲉϥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅: Ⲍ ⲁⲥⲉⲓ̅ ⲟⲛ ⲉⲑⲏ ⲛ̅ϭⲓⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ ⲡⲉϫⲁⲥ ϫⲉⲡⲁϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲟⲩⲛ̅ⲙⲁⲁϫⲉ ⲙ̅ⲡⲁⲣⲙ̅ⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲟⲓ̈ⲛ ⲁⲩⲱ ϯⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ ϩⲛ̅ⲧⲁϭⲟⲙ ⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲟⲓ̈ⲛ· ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁϥⲛⲏⲫⲉ ⲙ̅ⲙⲟⲓ̈ ⲛ̅ϭⲓⲡⲉⲕⲡⲛ̅ⲁ̅ ⲉⲧⲛⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲓ̈ ⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ ϭⲉ ⲧⲁϣⲁϫⲉ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲧⲙⲉⲧⲁⲛⲟⲓⲁ ⲉⲛⲧⲁⲥϫⲟⲟⲥϥ ⲛ̅ϭⲓⲧⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥ ⲥⲟⲫⲓⲁ ⲉⲥϫⲱ ⲙ̅ⲡⲉⲥⲛⲟⲃⲉ ⲙⲛ̅ⲛⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩϣⲱⲡⲉ ⲙ̅ⲙⲟⲥ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲛ̅ⲧⲁⲧⲉⲕϭⲟⲙ ⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ ⲡⲣⲟⲫⲏⲧⲉⲩⲉ ϩⲁⲣⲟⲥ ⲙ̅ⲡⲓⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓϣ ϩⲓⲧⲛ̅ ⲇⲁⲩⲉⲓⲇ ⲡⲉⲡⲣⲟⲫⲏⲧⲏⲥ ϩⲙ̅ⲡⲙⲉϩⲥⲉϣⲙⲏⲛ ⲙ̅ⲯⲁⲗⲙⲟⲥ· ϫⲉⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲙⲁⲧⲟⲩϫⲟⲓ̈ ϫⲉⲁϩⲉⲛⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲉⲓ̅ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ϣⲁⲧⲁⲯⲩⲭⲏ·

It came to pass, when Jesus had spoken these words to his disciples, that he said to them: This is the hymn which Pistis Sophia uttered in her first repentance, repenting of her sin and telling everything that had happened to her. Now, therefore: he who has ears to hear, let him hear. Mary came forward again and said: My Lord, my light-man has ears, and I hear with my light-power, and your spirit which is with me has sobered me. Hear then, that I may speak concerning the repentance which Pistis Sophia uttered, telling her sin and all that happened to her: your light-power prophesied of it once through David the prophet, in the sixty-eighth psalm: God, save me, for waters have come in, up to my soul.

Word by word

ⲁⲥϣⲱⲡⲉasshōpeit came to passϭⲉchethenⲉⲣⲉⲓ̅ⲥ̅ereiswhen Jesusϫⲱhad spokenⲛ̅ⲛⲉⲓ̈ϣⲁϫⲉnneishajethese wordsⲉⲛⲉϥⲙⲁⲑⲏⲧⲏⲥenefmathētēsto his disciplesⲡⲉϫⲁϥpejafhe saidⲛⲁⲩnauto themϫⲉⲡⲁⲓ̈jepaithisⲡⲉpeisⲫⲩⲙⲛⲟⲥphumnosthe hymnⲉⲛⲧⲁⲥϫⲟⲟϥentasjoofwhich she utteredⲛ̅ϭⲓⲧⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥnchitpistisnamely PistisⲥⲟⲫⲓⲁsophiaSophia·ϩⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲥϣⲟⲣⲡ̅hntesshorpin her firstⲙ̅ⲙⲉⲧⲁⲛⲟⲓⲁmmetanoiarepentance·ⲉⲥⲙⲉⲧⲁⲛⲟⲓ̈esmetanoirepentingⲉⲧⲃⲉⲡⲉⲥⲛⲟⲃⲉetbepesnobeof her sin·ⲁⲩⲱauōandⲉⲥϫⲱesjōand tellingⲛ̅ϩⲱⲃnhōbevery thingⲛⲓⲙnimeveryⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩϣⲱⲡⲉentaushōpethat had happenedⲙ̅ⲙⲟⲥmmosto her·ⲧⲉⲛⲟⲩtenounowϭⲉchethereforeⲡⲉⲧⲉⲟⲩⲛ̅ⲙⲁⲁϫⲉpeteounmaajehe who has earsⲙ̅ⲙⲟϥmmofhe, himⲉⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅esōtmto hearⲙⲁⲣⲉϥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅marefsōtmlet him hear:ⲁⲥⲉⲓ̅aseishe cameⲟⲛonagainⲉⲑⲏethēforwardⲛ̅ϭⲓⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁnchimarianamely Maryⲡⲉϫⲁⲥpejasshe saidϫⲉⲡⲁϫⲟⲉⲓⲥjepajoeismy Lordⲟⲩⲛ̅ⲙⲁⲁϫⲉounmaajethere are earsⲙ̅ⲡⲁⲣⲙ̅ⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲟⲓ̈ⲛmparmnouoinin my light-manⲁⲩⲱauōandϯⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅tisōtmand I hearϩⲛ̅ⲧⲁϭⲟⲙhntachomwith my powerⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲟⲓ̈ⲛnouoinof light·ⲁⲩⲱauōandⲁϥⲛⲏⲫⲉafnēpheand it has soberedⲙ̅ⲙⲟⲓ̈mmoimeⲛ̅ϭⲓⲡⲉⲕⲡⲛ̅ⲁ̅nchipekpnanamely your spiritⲉⲧⲛⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲓ̈etnmmaiwhich is with meⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅sōtmhearϭⲉchethenⲧⲁϣⲁϫⲉtashajethat I may speakⲉⲧⲃⲉetbeconcerningⲧⲙⲉⲧⲁⲛⲟⲓⲁtmetanoiathe repentanceⲉⲛⲧⲁⲥϫⲟⲟⲥϥentasjoosfwhich she utteredⲛ̅ϭⲓⲧⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥnchitpistisnamely PistisⲥⲟⲫⲓⲁsophiaSophiaⲉⲥϫⲱesjōtellingⲙ̅ⲡⲉⲥⲛⲟⲃⲉmpesnobeher sinⲙⲛ̅ⲛⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩϣⲱⲡⲉmnnentaushōpeand the things that happenedⲙ̅ⲙⲟⲥmmosto herⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩtērouall of themⲛ̅ⲧⲁⲧⲉⲕϭⲟⲙntatekchomwhich your powerⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛnouoeinof lightⲡⲣⲟⲫⲏⲧⲉⲩⲉprophēteueprophesiedϩⲁⲣⲟⲥharosabout itⲙ̅ⲡⲓⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓϣmpiouoeishonce, in time pastϩⲓⲧⲛ̅hitnthroughⲇⲁⲩⲉⲓⲇdaueidDavidⲡⲉⲡⲣⲟⲫⲏⲧⲏⲥpeprophētēsthe prophetϩⲙ̅ⲡⲙⲉϩⲥⲉϣⲙⲏⲛhmpmehseshmēnin the sixty-eighthⲙ̅ⲯⲁⲗⲙⲟⲥmpsalmospsalm·ϫⲉⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉjepnouteGodⲙⲁⲧⲟⲩϫⲟⲓ̈matoujoisave meϫⲉⲁϩⲉⲛⲙⲟⲟⲩjeahenmooufor watersⲉⲓ̅eihave comeⲉϩⲟⲩⲛehouninϣⲁⲧⲁⲯⲩⲭⲏshatapsukhēup to my soul·

The setting

The prayer ends and the frame returns. Jesus tells the disciples what they have just heard: this is the hymn Pistis Sophia uttered in her first repentance — and he closes with the Gospel formula, "he who has ears to hear, let him hear." Mary comes forward at once. Her credentials are inward: my light-man has ears; I hear with my light-power; your spirit has sobered me. Then she names the key: your light-power prophesied of this long ago through David, in the sixty-eighth psalm — "Save me, O God, for waters have come in, up to my soul."

A note on this passage

The frame returns, and with it the book’s reading-machine is shown working for the first time: a repentance is uttered below, a disciple stands up above and matches it to a psalm. Jesus opens the exercise with the Gospel formula — "he who has ears to hear, let him hear" — and Mary answers it with breathtaking literalism: "my LIGHT-MAN has ears." The idiom is not decoration; the <em>rm-n-ouoein</em>, the man of light dwelling inside her, is the organ of this kind of hearing, and she hears "with my light-power". Add the third credential — "your spirit has SOBERED me", <em>nēphe</em>, the Greek verb of coming out of drunkenness — and Mary has given a complete anatomy of understanding: an inner person with its own senses, a power to hear with, and a sobriety that the spirit confers. In this literature the unredeemed world is routinely pictured as drunk; insight is not cleverness but a hangover’s clearing.

Then she names the key — the sixty-eighth psalm (the Greek Bible’s count; English Bibles call it the sixty-ninth) — and quietly reverses the arrow of time. She does not say Sophia borrowed David’s psalm. She says "your light-power PROPHESIED of it once through David": the psalm is the copy, and Sophia’s repentance the original it foresaw. For this book the events in the chaos are the older, larger fact, and the entire Psalter is the echo of them that reached one Judean poet in advance. Every "as David said" in the coming chapters carries that reversal inside it. With the first verse quoted — "Save me, O God, for waters have come in, up to my soul" — the interpretation begins, and with it the pattern the remaining twelve repentances will follow.

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