Pistis Sophia 71.5 · 71.5

Above its matter

ⲛ̅ⲧⲟϥ ⲡⲉ ⲡϣⲁϫⲉ ⲉⲛⲧⲁⲥϫⲟⲟϥ ⲛ̅ϭⲓⲧⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥ ⲥⲟⲫⲓⲁ ϫⲉⲁⲩⲱ ⲁϥϯ ⲛⲁⲓ̈ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉϥⲥⲟⲫⲓⲁ· ⲉⲧⲣⲁⲃⲱⲗ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛ̅ⲙ̅ⲙⲣ̅ⲣⲉ ⲛ̅ⲛⲉⲡⲣⲟⲃⲟⲗⲟⲟⲩⲉ ⲉⲧⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲩ· ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡϣⲁϫⲉ ⲉⲛⲧⲁⲧⲉⲕϭⲟⲙ ϫⲟⲟϥ ϫⲉⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁϥⲡⲁⲧⲁⲥⲥⲉ ⲙ̅ⲫⲟϥ ⲉⲧⲟ ⲛ̅ⲥⲁϣϥⲉ ⲛ̅ⲁⲡⲉ ϩⲛ̅ⲛⲁϭⲓϫ. ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁϥⲧⲁϩⲟⲓ̈ ⲉⲣⲁⲧ ϩⲓϫⲛ̅ⲧⲉϥⲛⲟⲩⲛⲉ ϫⲉⲕⲁⲥ ⲉⲓ̈ⲉϥⲱⲧⲉ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲙ̅ⲡⲉϥⲥⲡⲉⲣⲙⲁ· ⲛ̅ⲧⲟϥ ⲡⲉ ⲡϣⲁϫⲉ ⲉⲛⲧⲁⲥϫⲟⲟϥ ⲛ̅ϭⲓⲧⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥ ⲥⲟⲫⲓⲁ ϫⲉⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲕⲡⲁⲧⲁⲥⲥⲉ ⲙ̅ⲡϩⲟϥ ⲡⲁϯⲥⲁϣϥⲉ ⲛ̅ⲁⲡⲉ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲓⲧⲛ̅ⲛⲁϭⲓϫ· ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲕⲧⲁϩⲟⲓ̈ ⲉⲣⲁⲧ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ̈ ⲉϫⲛ̅ⲧⲉϥϩⲩⲗⲏ·

It is the word which Pistis Sophia spoke: And he gave me his wisdom, that I might loose myself out of the bonds of those emanations. And the word which thy power spoke: He who smote the serpent with the seven heads with my hands — he set me up above its root, that I might wipe out its seed — it is the word which Pistis Sophia spoke: And thou hast smitten the serpent with the seven heads through my hands, and set me up above its matter.

Word by word

ⲛ̅ⲧⲟϥntofitⲡⲉpeisⲡϣⲁϫⲉpshajethe wordⲉⲛⲧⲁⲥϫⲟⲟϥentasjoofwhich she spokeⲛ̅ϭⲓⲧⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥnchitpistisnamely PistisⲥⲟⲫⲓⲁsophiaSophiaϫⲉⲁⲩⲱjeauōandⲁϥϯaftihe gaveⲛⲁⲓ̈naimeⲛ̅ⲧⲉϥⲥⲟⲫⲓⲁntefsophiahis wisdom·ⲉⲧⲣⲁⲃⲱⲗetrabōlthat I might loose myselfⲉⲃⲟⲗeboloutϩⲛ̅ⲙ̅ⲙⲣ̅ⲣⲉhnmmrreof the bondsⲛ̅ⲛⲉⲡⲣⲟⲃⲟⲗⲟⲟⲩⲉnneprobolooueof the emanationsⲉⲧⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲩetmmauwhich are there·ⲁⲩⲱauōandⲡϣⲁϫⲉpshajethe wordⲉⲛⲧⲁⲧⲉⲕϭⲟⲙentatekchomwhich thy powerϫⲟⲟϥjoofspokeϫⲉⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁϥⲡⲁⲧⲁⲥⲥⲉjepentafpatassehe who smoteⲙ̅ⲫⲟϥmphofthe serpentⲉⲧⲟetowhich isⲛ̅ⲥⲁϣϥⲉnsashfewith sevenⲛ̅ⲁⲡⲉnapeheadsϩⲛ̅ⲛⲁϭⲓϫhnnachijwith my hands.ⲁⲩⲱauōandⲁϥⲧⲁϩⲟⲓ̈aftahoihe set me upⲉⲣⲁⲧeratuprightϩⲓϫⲛ̅ⲧⲉϥⲛⲟⲩⲛⲉhijntefnouneabove its rootϫⲉⲕⲁⲥjekasso thatⲉⲓ̈ⲉϥⲱⲧⲉeiefōteI might wipe outⲉⲃⲟⲗebolawayⲙ̅ⲡⲉϥⲥⲡⲉⲣⲙⲁmpefspermaits seed·ⲛ̅ⲧⲟϥntofitⲡⲉpeisⲡϣⲁϫⲉpshajethe wordⲉⲛⲧⲁⲥϫⲟⲟϥentasjoofwhich she spokeⲛ̅ϭⲓⲧⲡⲓⲥⲧⲓⲥnchitpistisnamely PistisⲥⲟⲫⲓⲁsophiaSophiaϫⲉⲁⲩⲱjeauōandⲁⲕⲡⲁⲧⲁⲥⲥⲉakpatassethou hast smittenⲙ̅ⲡϩⲟϥmphofthe serpentⲡⲁϯⲥⲁϣϥⲉpatisashfethe one with sevenⲛ̅ⲁⲡⲉnapeheadsⲉⲃⲟⲗebolforthϩⲓⲧⲛ̅ⲛⲁϭⲓϫhitnnachijthrough my hands·ⲁⲩⲱauōandⲁⲕⲧⲁϩⲟⲓ̈aktahoithou hast set me upⲉⲣⲁⲧeratuprightⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ̈ehraiupⲉϫⲛ̅ⲧⲉϥϩⲩⲗⲏejntefhulēabove its matter·

The setting

Sophia’s side of the wisdom-equation adds a reflexive the ode never had: he gave me his wisdom that I might loose MYSELF from the bonds of those emanations. Then the serpent returns for its solution. The ode’s "he who smote the serpent with the seven heads with my hands — he set me up above its root, that I may wipe out its seed" becomes Sophia’s "thou hast smitten the seven-headed serpent through my hands, and set me up above its matter." Root becomes hylē; the double agency of the hands is kept exactly.

A note on this passage

The reflexive is the news in the first equation. The ode said the bonds were unloosed for the singer; Sophia says the wisdom was given "that I might loose myself." It is the most distilled statement yet of what this whole wing of the book believes about salvation: rescue is not performed on the saved but enabled in them — the light sends down understanding, and the prisoner does her own untying with it. The verb, as always, is bōl, the same word as the "solution" every disciple keeps offering. Sophia loosing herself from the bonds and Matthew loosing the song’s meaning are one craft practiced at two altitudes.

The serpent-equation then makes a single, surgical substitution: the ode’s "above its root" becomes "above its matter." Root = hylē. What regenerates the seven-headed monster — what its seed grows back from — is matter itself, the same substance that was purified out of the midst of Sophia’s power two equations ago. The mythological beast resolves into the book’s physics without losing its shape: chaos is a serpent because matter regrows heads however often it is struck, and the only final victory is to be stationed above the stock it springs from. Everything else in the verse passes through untranslated — even the strange "through my hands," the singer’s own limbs wielded from elsewhere, because on that point the ode already spoke this book’s language: Sophia’s victories, like Solomon’s song, were always someone acting through her.

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