22: Decipher Texts 2 - Gospel of Mark

I’ve transcribed these excerpts from Rochus Zuurmond’s text-critical edition for the Synoptic Gospels, Part II: The Gospel of Mark - [Zuurmond, Rochus. Novum Testamentum Aethiopice: The Synoptic Gospels. Stuttgart: F. Steiner Verlag Wiesbaden, 1989.]

In order to facilitate this process of deciphering these texts (and help you review), I’ve color coded my transliteration --> blue indicates roots that appear in the verb glossary [17] and are either in a verbal [10, 14 – 16], nominal [5] or adjectival [19] form; orange indicates prepositions [9] and yellow indicates important prefixes and suffixes: the construct state [8], the accusative marker [11], possession [12] and the medio-passive ta-prefix [21]. What’s left are, for the most part, easily recognizable cognates and proper nouns. I’ve glossed a few important terms below each text. Good luck!

                                                                                                                  

I. MARK 1: 1-5

ቀዳሚሁ፡ለወንጌል፡ኢየሱስ፡ክርስቶስ፡ወልደ፡እግዚአ፡ብሔር፡በከመ፡ጽሑፍ፡ውስተ፡መጽሐፈ፡ነቢያት፡ናሁ፡አነ፡እፌኑ፡መልአክየ፡ቅድመ፡ገጽከ፡ዘይጸይሕ፡ፍኖተከ። ቃለ፡አዋዲ፡ዘይሰብክ፡በገዳም፡ጺሑአ፡ፍኖቶ፡ለእግዚአ፡ብሔር፡ወዐርዩ፡ወጽያሕቶ። ወሀሎ፡ዩሐንስ፡ያጠምቅ፡በገዳም፡ወይሰብክ፡ጥምቀተ፡ከመ፡ይነስሑ፡ወየትኀደግ፡ሎሙ፡ኀጢአቶሙ። ወየሐውሩ፡ኀቤሁ፡ኵሉ፡ሰብአ፡ይሁዳ፡ወኢየሩሳሌም፡ወያጥምቆሙ፡ለኵሎሙ፡በፈለገ፡ዩርዳኖስ፡ወይትአመኑ፡ኀጢአቶሙ።	qadāmihu lawangel iyesus krəstos walda əgziʾabḥer bakama ṣəḥuf wəsta maṣḥafa nabiyāt – nāhu, ana əfenu* malʾakya qədma gaṣṣka* zayəṣayḥ* fənotaka // qāla awādi zayəsbək* bagadām ṣiḥūʾ fənoto laʾəgziʾabḥer waʿaryu* waṣəyāḥto // wahalo* yuḥanəs yāṭaməq* bagadām wayəsbək təmqata kama yənsəḥu* wayatxadag* lomu xaṭiʾatomu // wayaḥawru* xabehu kʷəlu sabʾa yəhuda waʾiyarusalem wayāṭməqomu lakʷəlomu bafalaga* yurdanos wayətʾammanu* xaṭiʾatomu //
ፈነወ (D) = to send ገጽ = face, appearance, front ጼሐ (B) to pave a road ዐረየ (B) = to straighten / to level ሰበከ (D) = to preach / to announce ሀለወ (D) = ሀሎ + imperfect verb à past imperfect (አ)ጥመቀ (Ba) = to baptize / to immerse ነጽሐ (B) = to be purified (ተ)ኀድገ (Bt) = to cease / to let go ሖረ (B) = to go forth ፈለግ = river valley (ተ)አምነ (Bt) = to confess

21: Verbs: The Passive Voice etc.

21.1: Most active verbs assume the passive voice when the prefix << ተ >> (ta-) is added to them. This prefix also sometimes produces a reflexive or a reciprocal meaning. The ta-prefix be added to any of the four types of verbs, making Bt, Dt, Lt and Qt.

ACTIVE		PASSIVE
B	ሐነጸ to build	Bt	ተሐንጸ to be built
	ገብረ to do		ተገብረ to be done to be made
	ረከበ to find		ተረክበ to be found to exist
	ነገረ to speak		ተነግረ to be said to be proclaimed
	ወሀበ to give		ተውህበ to be given

Note that oftentimes, in Bt, the medial vowel disappears, so: ሰገደ (sagada – he worshipped) becomes ተሰግደ (tasagda – he was worshipped.) Also, not every Bt, Dt, Lt and Qt form verb has a corresponding “active” form.

ACTIVE		PASSIVE
D	ገሠጸ to instruct	Dt	ተገሠጸ to be admonished
	ፈነወ to send		ተፈነወ to be sent
	ፈወሰ To cure		ተፈወሰ to be healed
L	ሣቀየ to torment	Lt	ተሣቀየ to suffer
	ባረከ to bless		ተባረከ to receive benediction
	ቤዘወ to redeem		ተቤዘወ to be redeemed
Q	ተርጐመ to translate	Qt	ተተርጐመ to be translated to be interpreted

21.2: Dt verbs, especially those derived from stative verbs, can also have the meaning of “to show / regard oneself as something”, so:

ጸደቀ To be righteous	Dt	ተጸደቀ (taṣaddaqa) to feign righteousness
ዐብየ to be powerful		ተዐበየ (taʿabbaya) to be arrogant
ሀይመነ to be a believer		ተሀይመነ (tahaymana*) to portray oneself as a believer
*not Dt, but same idea

21.3: Lt verbs that are derived from B verbs often denote reciprocal, repeated or iterated actions, so:

D	ነጸረ to see	Lt	ተናጸረ (tanāṣara) to look at each other
	ነገረ to say		ተናገረ (tanāgara) to converse
	ወለደ to bear		ተዋለደ (tawālada) to procreate
	ጸብአ to make war		ተጻብአ (taṣābʿa) to fight one another

21.4: Some nouns appear verbalized in Dt form, so:

Noun	ነቢይ a prophet	Dt	ተነበየ (tanabbaya) to prophesy
	ሰብእ a man		ተሰብእ (tasabbəʾ) to become a man
	ምስጢር a secret		ተመስጠረ (tamasṭara*) to be kept secret
*not Dt, but same idea.

21.5: Bt, Dt, Lt, Qt verbs take direct and indirect objects. In verbs that take both, figuring out the subject can be a little tricky:

ተመሀረት፡ሕጋግ	vs.	ተመሀረት፡ሕጋገ
tamahharat ḥəgāg		tamahharat ḥəgāga
The laws were taught.		She was taught the laws.