Ishodad of Merv’s exegetic method ininterpreting the sequence of the apostles’ names (Acts 1:13): resolution ofdifferences of interpretation through the cataegories of humility ܡܟܝܟܘܬܐ andequality ܫܘܝܘܬܐ

Abstract

This article analyzes the exegetical method of the 9th‑century Syriac theologian Ishodad of Merv, using his interpretation of the order of the apostles’ names in Acts 1:13 as an example. For the first time, a Russian translation of the relevant fragment of the Syriac commentary, based on Margaret Gibson’s critical edition, is introduced into scholarly circulation. The goal of the study is to reconstruct Ishodad’s holistic hermeneutic model, within which textual variations in the order of names are understood as a reflection of the ontological transformation of the apostolic community after Pentecost.

This study is relevant due to a gap in modern biblical scholarship: most approaches limit themselves to noting variations in the order of the apostles’ names, whereas the East Syriac tradition offers a theologically rich interpretation capable of enriching New Testament hermeneutics.

The scientific novelty lies not only in the introduction of a new translation source but also in the identification of key categories of Ishodad’s interpretation – the Syriac concepts of “humility” ܡܟܝܟܘܬܐ (makiḥUfa) as voluntary  self‑abasement and “equality” ܫܘܝܘܬܐ (shav’Yufa) as a new quality of relationships in the Spirit, which have not previously been the subject of specialized analysis.

The object of this study is the 9th‑century East Syriac exegetical tradition in the context of its approach to textual differences as a source of theological meaning. The study utilizes methods of textual analysis, comparative exegetical comparison, historical and theological reconstruction, and conceptual study of Syriac terminology, all dictated by the topic of the study.

As a result, it is demonstrated that Ishodad of Merv, synthesizing Antiochene historicism with elements of Alexandrian symbolism, interprets the discrepancy in the order of the apostles’ names as a narrative icon depicting an ecclesiological transformation that defines authentic relationships in the Church, based on voluntary humility and equality in the Spirit of Truth. Ishodad thus provides a coherent answer to the long‑standing exegetical question about the reason for the change in the order of the apostles’ names in this passage. 

For citation:  Kishkin К. А., priest Ishodad of Merv’s exegetic method in
interpreting the sequence of the apostles’ names (Acts 1:13): resolution of differences of interpretation through the cataegories of humility ܡܟܝܟܘܬܐ and equality ܫܘܝܘܬܐ // Theological Collection of Tambov Theological Seminary 2026, no. 2 (35), pp. 51–67. (In Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.51216/2687-072X_2026_2_51-67. EDN: NNFNPD

Received 21 October 2025.

Accepted for press 27 April 2026.

Funding: This study did not receive external funding.

Conflict of interest: The author declares no conflicts of interest.

The content is available under a license Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

ISSN 2687-072Х

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