How Greek is Ephrem’s Syriac?: Ephrem’s Commentary on Genesis as a Case Study

Ephrem’s Commentary on Genesis is commonly used as a basis for studies focusing on the influence of Jewish traditions on Ephrem, and the unique Semitic character of Syriac Christianity. In recent years, however, new studies re-emphasize the importance of Greco-Roman languages and literature on the study of Syriac Christianity, and the study of Ephrem’s literature in particular. Scholars ask whether fourth-century Syriac Christianity was truly “purely Semitic,” and whether Ephrem was really unacquainted with any Greco-Roman Christian theology and practice, or the Greek language. As a result, they draw a hybrid picture of Syriac Christianity in the fourth century, influenced by both Semitic and Greek literary and linguistic heritage. This paper focuses on two examples from Ephrem’s Commentary on Genesis, in which Ephrem cites exegetical comments discussing the core issues of Christian theology. These comments were originally written in Greek, but their transmission into Syriac led Ephrem to obscure and enigmatic adaptations, thus revealing his lack of knowledge of Greek, yet his acquaintance with the Greco-Roman Christian theology. These adaptations, therefore, nuance Ephrem’s commitment to Greco-Roman Christianity. While he was committed to post-Nicene Christian theology and cited its claims, the linguistic gap between Ephrem and contemporary Greco-Roman Christian theologians, did not allow him to adapt their theological stances properly.