Appendix D. On The ῥηματα.
The following ingenious and probably sound explanation of what has been long a crux to Textual Critics, comes from a Lecture by Mr. Rendel Harris, “On the Origin of the Ferrar Group,” delivered at Mansfield College, Oxford, on Nov. 6, 1893, and since published (C. J. Clay and Sons), and courteously sent to the editor by the accomplished author. The explanation is given in Mr. Harris' own words (pp. 7-10): but the whole of his pamphlet should be consulted by those who are interested in this study.
“In Scrivener's Introduction to the New Testament (ed. 3, p. 65) we are told that ‘besides the division of the text into στίχοι or lines, we find in the Gospels alone another division into ῥήματα or ῥήσεις, “sentences,” differing but little from the στίχοι in number. Of these last the precise [pg 382] numbers vary in different copies, though not considerably, &c.’ And on p. 66 we find the following statistical statement:
“Matthew has 2522 ῥήματα
Mark, 1675
Luke, 3803
John, 1938
“These figures are derived from MSS. of the Gospels, in which we frequently find the attestation given both of the ῥήματα and the στίχοι: e.g. Cod. Ev. 173 gives for
“Matthew ,βφκβ᾽ ῥήματα, ,βφξ᾽ στίχοι,
while the corresponding figures for Mark and Luke are
Mark ,αχοε' ,αχδ᾽ and Luke ,γωγ᾽ ,βψν᾽
“No explanation, as far as I know, has ever been given of these curiously numbered ῥήματα. The word is, certainly, a peculiar one to use, if short sentences are intended, such as are commonly known by the terms ‘cola and commata.’
“It has occurred to me that perhaps the explanation might lie in the fact that ῥῆμα was here a literal translation of the Syriac word ܦܬܓܡܐ (or ܐܡܓܬܦ). Let us then see whether ܦܬܓܡܐ (or ܐܡܓܬܦ) is the proper word to describe a verse, either a fixed verse, like a hexameter, or a sense-line. A reference to Payne Smith's Lexicon will show that it may be used in either of these senses, for example, we are told that it is not only used generally of the verses of Scripture, but that it may stand for ‘comma, membrum versus, sententia brevior quam versus, στίχος, Schol. ad Hex. Job. ix. 33; ܦܬܓܡܐ ܡܒ (or ܒܡ ܐܡܓܬܦ), Tit. ib. Ps. ix; ܦܬܓܡܐ ܐܠܦܐܒ (or ܒܐܦܠܐ ܐܡܓܬܦ). Ex. xxx. 22 marg.: insunt in Geneseos libro ܦܬܓܡܐ (or ܐܡܓܬܦ) mmmmdix, coloph. ad Gen., it. C.S.B. 2 et sic ad fin. cuiusque libri; in libris poeticis sententia est hemistichio minor, e.g. in Ps. i. insunt versus sex sed ܦܬ ܞܕ (or ܕܞ ܬܦ); in Ps. ii. versus duodecim, sed ܦܬ ܠܚ (or ܚܠ ܬܦ).’
“It seems, therefore, to be used in Syriac much in the same way as στίχος in Greek.
“Now there is in one of the Syriac MSS. on Mount Sinai (Cod. Sin. Syr.) a table of the Canonical books of the Old and New Testaments with their measured verses. We will give some extracts from this table; but first, notice that the Gospels are numbered as follows:
Matthew has 2522 ܦܬܓܡܐ (or ܐܡܓܬܦ)
Mark has 1675
Luke has 3083
John has 1737
and the whole of the four Evangelists 9218, which differs slightly from the total formed by addition, which, as the figures stand, is 9017.
“On comparing the table with the numbers given by Scrivener from Greek MSS., viz.
Matt. = 2522 ῥήματα
Mark = 1675
Luke = 3803
John = 1938
we see at a glance that we are dealing with the same system; Luke should evidently have 3083, the Greek number being evidently an excessive one; and if we assume that John should be 1938 the total amounts exactly to the 9218 given for the four Gospels.
“This is very curious, and since the ῥήματα are now proved to be rightly equated to ܦܬܓܡܐ (or ܐܡܓܬܦ), and this latter word is a proper word to describe a verse or στίχος, the ῥήματα appear to be a translation of a Syriac table.
“Perhaps we may get some further idea about the character of the verses in question by turning to the Sinai list, which is not confined to the Gospels, but ranges through the whole of the Old and New Testaments.
“The Stichometry in question follows the list of the names of the seventy disciples, which list is here assigned to Irenaeus, bishop of Lugdunum. After which we have
ܬܘܒ ܚܘܦܒܢܐ ܕܘܠܢܝܢܐ ܕܒܬܒܐ
ܩܕܝܫܐ܃ ܕܟܘܠ ܦܬܓܘܠܐ ܐܬ
ܠܚܕ ܚܕ ܡܢ܃ ܒܕܬܐ
ܦܬܓܡܐ ܐܕܒܠܐ ܐܠܦܞܢ ܘܝܡܫܡܐ
ܘܫܬܬܠܣ܃
i.e. Genesis has 4516 verses followed by:
Exodus 3378
Leviticus 2684
Numbers 3481
Deuteronomy 2982
Total for the Law 17041
Joshua 1953
Judges 2088
&c.
“When we come to the New Testament, it seems at first sight as if the verses which are there reckoned cannot be the Greek equivalent hexameters: for we are told that Philemon contains 53 verses, and the Epistle to Titus 116, numbers which are in excess of the Euthalian reckoning, 38 and 97 verses respectively, and similarly in other cases. The suggestion arises that the lines here reckoned are sense lines, and this is therefore the meaning to be attached to the ῥήματα of the MSS. But upon this point we must not speak too hastily.
“The interest of the Sinai stichometry is not limited to this single point: its list of New Testament books is peculiar in order and contents. There seem to be no Catholic Epistles, and amongst the Pauline Epistles, Galatians stands first; note also the curious order Hebrews, Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians.
“I do not think there can be the slightest doubt that our explanation of the origin of the ῥήματα is correct.