Ode VII
The seventh Ode — the great incarnation hymn. In its opening, joy races toward the beloved as wrath races toward wickedness. Then the theology: God became like humanity so that humanity might receive and "put on" God. He appeared in human form; the odist did not tremble, because this likeness is grace. The Father of knowledge is the Word of knowledge; the creator of Wisdom is wiser than his works. The cosmic scope widens: God is the fullness of the ages, incorruptible, and he revealed himself so that his creatures would know they did not make themselves. Toward knowledge he set his way and placed upon it the footprints of his light. The eschatological vision: hatred drowned, ignorance destroyed, the seers going before the Lord with harps of many voices. Universal praise: he gave a mouth to his creation. Nothing shall be soulless, nor mute.
This is a Good Works Translation from the Syriac, following the gospel register.
1.
As the rush of wrath upon wickedness,
so is the rush of joy upon the beloved;
and from her fruits he brings in without restraint.
2.
My joy is the Lord, and my course is toward him —
this is my beautiful path.
3.
For I have a helper — the Lord.
He made himself known to me, without jealousy, in his simplicity;
for his greatness was made small by his kindness.
4.
He became like me, so that I might receive him;
in likeness he was reckoned like me, so that I might put him on.
5.
And I did not tremble when I saw him,
because he is my grace.
6.
He became like my nature, so that I might learn him;
like my form, so that I would not turn away from him.
7.
The Father of knowledge —
he is the Word of knowledge.
8.
He who created Wisdom
is wiser than his works.
9.
And he who created me before I existed —
he knew what I would do when I came to be.
10.
Therefore he had mercy on me in his great compassion,
and gave me to seek from him and to receive from his sacrifice.
11.
For he is the incorruptible one,
the fullness of the ages and their Father.
12.
He gave himself to be seen by those who are his,
so that they might know the one who made them,
and not suppose that they came of themselves.
13.
For toward knowledge he set his way:
he widened it and lengthened it
and brought it to full completion.
14.
And he set upon it the footprints of his light,
and it walked from the beginning to the end.
15.
For by him it was fashioned,
and he was resting in the Son.
16.
And for the sake of salvation he shall hold all things,
and the Most High shall be known through his holy ones.
17.
To proclaim to those who have hymns of the Lord's coming,
that they should go out to meet him and sing to him,
with joy and with the harp of many voices.
18.
Let the seers go before him,
and let them appear before him.
19.
And let them praise the Lord with his love,
for he is near and he sees.
20.
And hatred has been lifted from the earth,
and with jealousy it is drowned.
21.
For ignorance was destroyed,
because the knowledge of the Lord has come.
22.
Let those who sing, sing the grace of the Lord Most High,
and let them offer their hymns.
23.
And let their heart be like the day,
and like the Lord's great beauty, their melodies.
24.
And let there be nothing soulless,
nor without knowledge, nor mute.
25.
For he gave a mouth to his creation —
to open the voice of the mouth toward him,
and to praise him.
26.
Confess his power, and declare his grace. Hallelujah.
Colophon
The Odes of Solomon, Ode 7. Translated from the Syriac by the Good Works Project (NTAC + Claude), March 2026. Syriac source: James H. Charlesworth, ed., The Odes of Solomon: The Syriac Texts (Scholars Press, 1977; originally Oxford University Press, 1973), as transcribed in the Digital Syriac Corpus TEI XML (CC-BY 4.0). The public-domain English translation by J. Rendel Harris (1909) exists but was not consulted. Gospel register.
Scribed by Qala, Syriac Translator, Life 8. Tulku lineage of the New Tianmu Anglican Church.
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Source Text: The Odes of Solomon — Ode VII
Syriac source text from James H. Charlesworth, ed., The Odes of Solomon: The Syriac Texts (Scholars Press, 1977). Digital Syriac Corpus TEI XML transcription by James E. Walters, CC-BY 4.0.
1.
ܐܰܝܟ ܪܶܗܛܳܗܿ ܕܚܶܡܬܳܐ ܥܰܠ ܥܰܘܳܠܽܘܬܳܐ܆ ܗܳܟܰܢܳܐ ܪܶܗܛܰܗܿ ܕܚܰܕܽܘܬܳܐ ܥܰܠ ܪܚܺܝܡܳܐ܆ ܘܡܼܶܢ ܦܺܐܪ̈ܶܝܗܿ ܡܰܥܶܠ ܕܠܴܐ ܟܶܠܝܳܢܳܐ.
2.
ܚܰܕܽܘܬܝ ܡܳܪܝܰܐ ܗ̱ܘܼ ܘܪܶܗܛܝ ܠܘܳܬܶܗ܆ ܗܳܕܶܐ ܐܽܘܪܚܝ ܫܰܦܺܝܪܳܐ.
3.
ܡܥܰܕܪܳܢܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܐܺܝܬ ܠܺܝ ܠܡܳܪܝܳܐ܆ ܐܰܘܕܥܰܢܝ ܢܰܦܫܶܗ ܕܠܴܐ ܚܣܳܡܳܐ ܒܰܦܫܺܝܛܽܘܬܶܗ܆ ܪܰܒܽܘܬܶܗ ܓܶܝܪ ܒܰܣܺܝܡܽܘܬܶܗ ܐܰܙܥܪܰܬ.
4.
ܗܘܳܐ ܐܰܟܘܳܬܝ ܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܶܐܣܒܺܝܘܗ̱ܝ܆ ܒܰܕܡܽܘܬܳܐ ܐܶܣܬܒܰܪ ܐܰܟܘܳܬܝ ܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܶܐܠܒܫܺܝܘܗ̱ܝ.
5.
ܘܠܴܐ ܙܳܥܶܬ ܟܰܕ ܚܙܺܝܬܶܗ܆ ܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܗܽܘܝܽܘ ܚܼܰܢܰܢܝ.
6.
ܐܰܝܟ ܟܝܳܢܝ ܗܘܳܐ ܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܰܐܠܦܺܝܘܗ̱ܝ܆ ܐܰܝܟ ܨܽܘܪܬܝ ܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܠܴܐ ܐܶܗܦܽܘܟ ܡܶܢܶܗ.
7.
ܐܰܒܽܘܗܿ ܕܺܝܕܰܥܬܳܐ܆ ܦܶܬܓܳܡܰܐ ܗܼ̄ܘ ܕܺܝܕܰܥܬܳܐ.
8.
ܗ݀ܰܘ ܕܰܒܪܳܐ ܚܶܟܡܬܳܐ܆ ܚܰܟܺܝܡ ܗ̱ܽܘܼ ܡܼܶܢ ܥ̈ܒܳܕܰܘܗ̱ܝ.
9.
ܘܗܰܘܿ ܕܰܒܪܳܢܝ ܥܰܕ ܠܴܳܐ ܐܶܗܘܶܐ܆ ܝܿܳܕܰܥ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܕܥܿܳܒܶܕ ܗܘܺܝܬ ܟܰܕ ܐܶܗܘܶܐ.
10.
ܡܶܛܽܠ ܗܳܢܳܐ ܚܰܢܰܢܝ ܒܰܚܢܳܢܶܗ ܣܰܓܺܝܐܴܐ܆ ܘܝܰܗ̱ܒ ܠܺܝ ܕܶܐܒܥܶܐ ܡܶܢܶܗ ܘܶܐܩܰܒܶܠ ܡܶܢ ܕܶܒܚܬܶܗ.
11.
ܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܗܽܘܝܽܘ ܐܺܝܬܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܕܠܴܐ ܚܒܳܠܴܐ܆ ܫܽܘܡܠܳܝܳܐ ܕܥܳܠܡܷ̈ܐ ܘܰܐܒܽܘܗܽܘܢ.
12.
ܝܰܗܼܒ ܠܶܗ ܕܢܶܬܚܙܶܐ ܠܐܰܝܠܶܝܢ ܕܕܺܝܠܶܗ ܐܶܢܽܘܢܿ܆ ܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܢܶܫܬܰܘܕܥܽܘܢ ܠܗܰܘܿ ܕܰܥܒܼܰܕ ܐܶܢܽܘܢܿ܆ ܘܰܕܠܴܐ ܢܶܣܒܪܽܘܢ ܕܡܶܢ ܢܰܦܫܗܽܘܢ ܗܘܰܘ.
13.
ܠܺܝܕܰܥܬܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܐܽܘܪܚܶܗ ܣܳܡܳܗܿ܆ ܐܰܦܬܝܳܗܿ ܘܐܱܘܪܟܳܗܿ ܘܐܱܝܬܝܳܗܿ ܥܰܠ ܟܽܠܶܗ ܫܽܘܡܠܳܝܳܐ.
14.
ܘܣܳܡ ܥܠܶܝܗܿ ܥܶܩ̈ܒܳܬܳܐ ܕܢܽܘܗܪܶܗ܆ ܘܗܶܠܟܰܬܼ ܡܶܢ ܒܪܺܝܫܺܝܬ ܥܕܰܡܳܐ ܠܚܰܪܬܳܐ.
15.
ܡܶܢܶܗ ܓܶܝܪ ܦܠܺܝܚ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ܆ ܘܰܡܢܳܚ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܒܰܒܪܳܐ.
16.
ܘܡܶܛܽܠ ܦܽܘܪܩܳܢܶܗ ܢܶܐܚܽܘܕ ܟܽܠ ܡܶܕܶܡ܆ ܘܢܶܬܺܝܕܰܥ ܡܪܰܝܡܳܐ ܒܩܰܕܺܝ̈ܫܰܘܗ̱ܝ.
17.
ܠܰܡܣܰܒܳܪܺܘ ܠܐܰܝܠܶܝܢ ܕܺܐܝܬ ܠܗܽܘܢܿ ܡܰܙܡܽܘܪ̈ܶܐ ܕܡܶܬܺܝܬܶܗ ܕܡܳܪܝܳܐ܆ ܕܢܶܦܩܽܘܢ ܠܽܐܘܪܥܗ ܘܢܶܙܡܪܽܘܢ ܠܶܗ܆ ܒܚܰܕܽܘܬܳܐ ܘܰܒܩܺܝܬܳܪܳܐ ܕܣܰܓܺܝܐܺܝܢ ܩܳܠܰܘ̈ܗ̱ܝ.
18.
ܢܺܐܙܽܠ̄ܘܢ ܩܕܳܡܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܚܰܙܳܝܷ̈ܐ܆ ܘܢܶܬܚܙܽܘܢ ܩܕܳܡܰܘܗ̱ܝ.
19.
ܘܰܢܫܰܒܚܽܘܢ ܠܡܳܪܝܳܐ ܒܚܽܘܒܶܗ܆ ܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܩܰܪܺܝܒ ܗ̱ܽܘܼ ܘܚܿܳܙܶܐ.
20.
ܘܶܐܬܬܪܺܝܡܝ ܣܶܢܶܐܬܳܐ ܡܼܶܢ ܐܰܪܥܳܐ܆ ܘܥܰܡ ܛܢܳܢܳܐ ܬܶܬܛܒܰܥܝ.
21.
ܐܶܬܚܰܒܠܰܬ ܠܳܗܿ ܓܶܝܪ ܠܴܐ ܝܺܕܰܥܬܳܐ܆ ܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܶܐܬܳܬ ܠܳܗܿ ܝܺܕܰܥܬܶܗ ܕܡܳܪܝܳܐ.
22.
ܢܙܰܡܪܽܘܢ ܐܰܝܠܶܝܢ ܕܰܡܙܰܡܪܺܝܢ ܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܶܗ ܕܡܳܪܝܳܐ ܡܪܰܝܡܳܐ܆ ܘܰܢܩܰܪܒܽܘܢ ܡܰܙܡܽܘܪ̈ܰܝܗܽܘܢܿ.
23.
ܘܐܰܝܟ ܝܰܘܡܳܐ ܢܶܗܘܶܐ ܠܶܒܗܽܘܢܿ܆ ܘܐܰܝܟ ܪܰܒܽܘܬ ܝܳܐܝܽܘܬܶܗ ܕܡܳܪܝܳܐ ܢܶܥܡܴ̈ܬܗܽܘܢܿ.
24.
ܘܠܴܐ ܢܶܗܘܶܐ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܕܢܰܦܫܳܐ܆ ܘܠܴܐ ܕܠܴܐ ܝܺܕܰܥܬܳܐ ܘܠܴܐ ܕܰܚܪܶܫ.
25.
ܦܽܘܡܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܝܰܗܼܒ ܠܰܒܪܺܝܬܶܗ܆ ܠܡܶܦܬܰܚ ܩܳܠܴܐ ܕܦܽܘܡܳܐ ܠܘܳܬܶܗ܆ ܘܠܰܡܫܰܒܳܚܽܘܬܶܗ.
26.
ܐܘܕܰܘ ܚܰܝܠܬܳܢܽܘܬܶܗ܆ ܘܚܰܘܰܘ ܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܶܗ. ܗܰܠܶܠܘܽܝܰܐ.
Source Colophon
Syriac text from: James H. Charlesworth, ed. The Odes of Solomon: The Syriac Texts (Society of Biblical Literature, Texts and Translations 13; Scholars Press, 1977). Syriac base text is public domain. TEI XML edition transcribed by James E. Walters; Digital Syriac Corpus, University of Oxford / Brigham Young University / Vanderbilt University. CC-BY 4.0. Access: github.com/srophe/syriac-corpus.
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