Saint Ephrem the Syrian on the Samaritan Woman

from Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns, 

In Hymn 23, Saint Ephrem portrays the Samaritan woman primarily as an apostle. Ephrem praises her for her readiness to share her insight into Jesus’ messianic identity (strophe 1).  Also laudable is the immediacy of her response to one small sign, to be contrasted with the obstinacy of those who refused to accept even the greater evidence of miracles (strophe 2).  Yet, it is Christ himself who determines the flow of his living water appropriate to each human being (strophe 3).   In her revelation to others of what she had  heard, she is like Mary  who conceived by her ear and thereby brought the Son to the world (strophes 4-5).   Like the words of the prophets, what she spoke became reality (strophe 6).  Even before the Twelve were permitted to do so, she preached the good news of salvation to the Gentiles (strophe 7).   The final strophes introduce themes of Eve and Adam, Christ as the Bread of Life, Shechem and Joshua, but the fragmentary state of the text makes it impossible to determine their relation to the previous strophes.

Strophe 1

Blessed are you, O woman, for not suppressing

your judgment about what you discovered.

The glorious Treasury was Himself present

for your need because of His love.

Your love was zealous

to share your treasure with your city.

Blessed woman, your discovery became

the Discoverer of the lost.

Refrain:   Glory to the Discoverer of all!

Strophe 2

Blessed are you, O woman, for not wearying 

your Hunter, as has the daughter of Sion.

With that small sign He taught and caught you,

and, in turn, He showed His great wealth,

so that not [merely] by your word would there be faith in Him,

who has shown signs that were mighty.

Small was the blessed sign for her

by comparison with miracles.

Strophe 3

He glorious fount of Him who was sitting

At the well as Giver of drink to all,

flows to each according to His will:

Different springs according to those who drink.

From the well a single undifferentiated drink

came up each time for those who drank.

The Living Fount lets distinct blessings

flow to distinct people.

Strope 4

O, to you, woman in whom I see

a wonder as great as in Mary!

For she from within her womb 

in Bethlehem brought forth His body as a child,

but you by your mouth made him manifest

as an adult in Shechem, the town of His father’s household.

Blessed are you, woman, who brought forth by your mouth

light of those in darkness.

Strope 5

Mary, the thirsty land in Nazareth,

conceived our Lord by her ear.

You, too, O woman thirsting for water,

conceived the Son by your hearing.

Blessed are your ears that drank the source

that gives drink to the  world.

Mary planted him in the manger,

but you planted him in the ears of His hearers.

Strophe 6

Your word, O woman, became a mirror

in which He might see your hidden heart.

“The Messiah,” you had said, “will come,

and when He comes, He will give us everything.”

Behold the Messiah for Whom you waited, modest woman!

With your voice…..

…..

Your prophecy was fulfilled.

Strophe 7

Your voice, O woman, first brought forth fruit,

before even the apostles, with the kerygma.

The apostles were forbidden to announce Him

among pagans and Samaritans.

Blessed is your mouth that He opened and confirmed.

The Storehouse of life took and gave you to sow.

Into a city that was as dead as Sheol,

you entered and revived your dead [country].

Strophe 8

Blessed are you, O woman….

…..

Eve …..Adam

…..

Cluster ….. blessing

…..clusters…..

As …..

….. all of them ran to swallow it.

Strophe 9

Eve had become a vine of death;

the sprouts from her first brought forth pains.

By desire she plucked the fruit that also

was first-ripe…..

…..

….. was desirable

…..

He ate …..

Strophe 10

Blessed are you  O Shechem, into which the hungry entered

to buy bread for the Sustainer of all.

But you entered and gave the Living  Bread,

the truth who freely disclosed Himself.

Blessed are your fields that in the parable were whitened

and attained the blessed harvest.

Ears of grain are not ripened, [but] souls were perfected.

They became zealous, were whitened and resembled you.

Strophe 11

Blessed are you, O Shechem, beloved of righteous men.

Treasure ….. and treasury of symbols

…..

[Joshua] made laws and judgements on Shechem;

in you Jesus is also named.

This …..the wood of our Savior.

Indeed, how many blessings and symbols you recall!

Blessed is He who magnified you, our native land!