Tewahedo Story: Simeon

We left our Amharic books and Amharic Bible in Houston. But we miss studying this Ethiopian language and (periodically) attending the Tewahedo Church in Houston, so to compensate, we will periodically share extra-biblical stories from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church tradition. Here’s one such story about Simeon and how the controversial translation of παρθενος in OG/LXX Isaiah 7.14 came to be.

According to one priest in Houston (pretty sure this is not a documented story), Simeon of Luke 2 was a translator of the Hebrew Bible’s book of Isaiah into Greek. One day, when he happened to be wrestling with Isaiah 7, specifically how to translate העלמה. Mary and Joseph bring the young Jesus to Simeon in the temple and the narrative of Luke 2 happens. The Tewahedo story goes that Mary told Simeon their story and after that (and their exchange in the temple as recorded by Lk 2), he knew what to do. He would translate העלמה as παρθενος. Clearly a christological translation, if the story’s true.

While Matt 1.23 is the traditional re-appropriation of Isa 7.14, lets take a closer look at OG Isa 7 and Lk 2. Perhaps there’s a connection.

OG Isa 7.14 – Text and Translation
14 δια τουτο δωεσι κυριος αυτος υμιν σημειον. ιδου η παρθενος εν γαστρι εξει και τεξεται υιον, και καλεσεις το ονομα αυτου Εμμανουηλ.
14 Because of this, (the) Lord will give you a sign. Look, the virgin will become pregnant (lit. the virgin in womb will have) and give birth to a son, and you shall call his name Emmanuel.

GNT Lk 2.34 – Text and Translation
34 και ευλογησεν αυτους Συμεων και ειπεν προς Μαριαμ την μητερα αυτου, ιδου ουτος κειται εις πτωσιν και αναστασιν πολλων εν τω Ισραηλ και εις σημειον αντιλεγομενον-
34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Listen, this one is destined to be the fall and rise of many in Israel and (he is destined) to be a refused sign.”

Next time(s), we’ll take a fuller look at Isaiah and Simeon, but for now, we’ll focus on the above verses that offer a connection from Isaiah’s prophecy to Simeon’s. And that connection is- σημειον. Unlike the Matthean re-appropriation which focuses on the new significance of the name of this child, Simeon (allegedly) re-appropriates the child as a σημειον, a sign. And, just like Ahaz rejected his sign in Isaiah’s time, Simeon knew this human sign, Jesus, would also be rejected as of sign in his own time.

Not an explicit connection, but its a cool story.